Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium buzzed with anticipation on April 28, but for Rajasthan Royals, the night ended in familiar heartbreak. Facing a red-hot Gujarat Titans in the 47th match of IPL 2025, the Royals crumbled, their playoff hopes now hanging by a thread. The Titans, gunning to reclaim the top spot, delivered a clinical performance, leaving no doubt about their dominance.
Gujarat’s captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch known for favoring chases. The decision paid off. Sai Sudharsan anchored the innings with a blistering 76 off 49 balls, carving boundaries with surgical precision. Jos Buttler, the former Royals hero now donning Titans’ colors, chipped in with a brisk 42. Gujarat posted a daunting 194 for 5, their middle order weathering a brief wobble when Jofra Archer struck twice in an over. Archer’s fiery spell—2 for 36—was a rare bright spot for Rajasthan, but their bowling unit, missing the injured Sanju Samson, lacked bite.
Chasing 195, the Royals needed a miracle. Yashasvi Jaiswal, their lone warrior, smashed 68 off 41, his blade flashing under the floodlights. But the rest of the batting lineup folded like a cheap suit. Riyan Parag, captaining in Samson’s absence, managed just 22 before holing out to deep midwicket. Dhruv Jurel’s 34 offered brief resistance, but Gujarat’s bowlers, led by Prasidh Krishna, were relentless. Krishna’s 3 for 28, including the scalps of Parag and Jurel, ripped the heart out of Rajasthan’s chase. Mohammed Siraj’s pinpoint yorkers mopped up the tail, and the Royals were bundled out for 136 in 18.3 overs.
Gujarat’s 58-run victory was their seventh in ten matches, propelling them to the summit of the IPL 2025 points table with 14 points. Rajasthan, languishing at ninth with four points from ten games, have now lost six straight. The Titans’ bowling attack, with Krishna’s 19 wickets and Siraj’s 15, has been the talk of the tournament. For Rajasthan, Jaiswal’s 412 runs remain their only consistent spark.
The match, broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar, drew a packed crowd of 33,000. Jaipur’s weather, a balmy 27 degrees Celsius, offered no excuses. Gujarat’s next clash is against Lucknow Super Giants on May 2, while Rajasthan face Mumbai Indians on May 1. For the Royals, it’s do-or-die time.