With the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs entering a dangerous little stretch, Rajasthan Royals welcome Gujarat Titans to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, May 9.
Both teams are stuck on 12 points, sitting fourth and fifth, which means this is not just another league game. Gujarat have one big selection question around Prasidh Krishna, who was among their best wicket-takers but has not played the last three matches.
Rajasthan, meanwhile, have their own overseas puzzle around Shimron Hetmyer, whose reputation is heavier than his recent numbers. So, will Prasidh Krishna and Shimron Hetmyer play the RR vs GT game?
Prasidh Krishna: Dropped not Injured and probably too useeful to ignore
Finding out why Prasidh Krishna disappeared from Gujarat Titans’ XI has felt hard in this season as he was not injured but he was dropped. That sounds strange because until April 24, he had been one of GT’s most reliable wicket-taking options and their second-highest wicket-taker this season.
But in his last couple of outings, he leaked runs, missed his lengths, and suddenly Gujarat decided that the best way to protect his confidence was to remove him from the firing line.
GT assistant coach Aashish Kapoor more or less admitted the same before the Punjab Kings game on May 3, saying Prasidh had been missing his lengths and the team wanted him to take a break, work on it, and return before the problem became a confidence crisis.
That is not the worst logic in the world. It is just risky when the player you are “resting” is also the player who has repeatedly dragged you back into games. Arshad Khan has done well in his absence, taking five wickets in three matches and adding batting value, which has made GT’s decision look less bizarre.
But Jaipur changes the conversation. At Sawai Mansingh Stadium this season, pace has looked more useful than spin, and wickets for spinners have been rare. If GT want a proper middle-overs enforcer, this is the match where Prasidh Krishna's name should come back into the room.
Also READ: Rajasthan Royals' May 9 clash against Gujarat Titans gets special Pink Promise theme. Here’s why?
Shimron Hetmyer: Big Name, bad form and a bench that is getting too comfortable
Shimron Hetmyer is the kind of player who always feels one innings away from making everyone look foolish. That is his charm and his problem. Rajasthan know what he can do at the death, but IPL teams do not pick players on old fear alone. Hetmyer’s recent form has been poor, with only 72 runs in seven matches at a strike rate around 116 before he was dropped. For a finisher, those numbers are not just quiet; they are whispering from another room.
RR have since looked at other overseas options like Donovan Ferreira and Dasun Shanaka, and Ferreira especially has strengthened his case as a middle-order finisher.
That makes Shimron Hetmyer’s return complicated. Rajasthan could bring him back if they feel the batting needs more muscle, especially in a pressure game, but at the moment he looks more like an Impact Player possibility than a guaranteed starter.
The Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 also has a Burger problem, and they may prefer solving that by bringing in Kwena Maphaka, Adam Milne, or even Shanaka for balance. Shimron Hetmyer can still win a game in 12 balls, but right now RR may not trust him enough to give him those 12 balls in the first place
