Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2026 campaign has gone from difficult to deeply concerning in the space of a week — and Saturday’s match against Rajasthan Royals came with the added problem that their captain and India’s Test and ODI leader was not even on the field.

What Happened to Gill

Shubman Gill has been dealing with the after-effects of a neck sprain he suffered in November 2025 during India’s Test series against South Africa, which kept him out of cricket for two months. The spasm that ruled him out of the RR match struck a couple of days before the game.

Rashid Khan broke the news at the toss.

“Gill has a muscle spasm, hopefully he will be back soon. KK (Kumar Kushagra) is playing his first game and we look forward to seeing him play.”

GT’s assistant coach Parthiv Patel confirmed that the franchise is not panicking. GT’s next fixture is against Delhi Capitals on April 8, and Patel expects Gill to be available.

“Obviously, he had a neck sprain during the India vs South Africa Test in November 2025, and he had a spasm a couple of days back. We are hoping he’s fit for the upcoming game. It doesn’t look that serious. I can definitely tell you that he should be fine.”

A Season That Has Gone From Bad to Worse for GT

Gill’s absence was the latest in a line of setbacks for Gujarat Titans in what has become a thoroughly difficult start to IPL 2026. They have now lost their first two matches — something that has never happened before in the franchise’s history.

In their opener against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur, GT posted 162/6 — a defendable total — but their bowlers could not hold their nerve in the closing stages. Cooper Connolly starred on debut for PBKS, making an immediate impact with bat in a 76-run stand, and Punjab Kings chased down 163 by three wickets with five balls to spare.

Then against Rajasthan Royals, despite Sai Sudharsan’s fluent 73, a cluster of wickets in the 12th and 13th overs — Ravi Bishnoi taking 4/41 — derailed the chase, and GT fell six runs short in a last-over thriller.

Rajasthan’s Devastating Start — Featuring a 15-Ball Fifty

Rajasthan Royals, GT’s opponents on Saturday, have made the sharpest possible start to IPL 2026. They opened the tournament against CSK in Guwahati with one of the most emphatic wins of the season — bowling CSK out for just 127 and chasing it down in 12.1 overs for an eight-wicket win.

The star of that match was 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose 15-ball fifty against CSK announced him to the world as one of the most fearless young batters in the competition. RR are now two from two with an NRR of +2.233, while GT sit at the bottom without a win.

For GT, the situation requires a rapid fix — and getting Shubman Gill back fit and firing against Delhi Capitals on April 8 is the most urgent priority of all.