Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Friday, May 29, with a spot in the final on the line. Both sides have traded wins this season, and the high-pressure knockout is expected to be a tight contest.
The Titans come into this match after a heavy 92-run defeat against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1. Their batting lineup collapsed while chasing a daunting target, and the team will now look to reset quickly. Despite that loss, GT have consistently been one of the stronger sides this season and have enough depth to trouble Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Royals arrive with momentum. They have won three consecutive matches, most recently a 47-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. The Royals also have a perfect record at this venue — they have won all four matches they’ve played in Mullanpur so far this season.
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What the Mullanpur pitch offers
The surface in New Chandigarh has heavily favored batters throughout IPL 2026. Across five matches at the venue, the average first-innings score sits around 220. A target of 223 has already been chased successfully here, showing that even big totals aren’t entirely safe.
But with knockout pressure, teams winning the toss may still prefer to bat first. Defending a massive total in such a high-stakes game could prove difficult for the chasing side. The pitch has been a good friend to batters this season, offering pace and true bounce.
Team records at this ground
Gujarat Titans have played only three matches at this stadium, winning one and losing two. That’s a mixed record, but the sample is small.
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They have played four matches here and won all four. Their familiarity with the conditions could be an advantage. The stadium, named after a former maharaja, has become a reliable venue for high-scoring games.
Head-to-head and last match
Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals have never faced each other at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. The most recent match here was the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026 between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad — a high-scoring affair that Rajasthan won by 47 runs.
Key T20 stats from Mullanpur
Only one T20 international has been played at this venue, between India and South Africa. The first-innings score in that game was 213 for 4, and the second innings produced 162 all out. The average first-innings score across all T20s here is 213, while the average second-innings score drops to 162.
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Total matches played at the ground in IPL 2026: five. Matches won by the team batting first: one. Matches won by the team bowling first: zero — but that stat only covers the one international game. In IPL matches, chasing teams have had success. The highest total recorded here is 213, but IPL games have seen scores above that. The lowest total is 162.
Numbers only tell part of the story. The knockout atmosphere will add a layer that stats can’t measure. Both teams know what’s at stake, and the Mullanpur pitch is ready for another run-fest.
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