IPL 2026: RR were 10-15 runs short, says Sangakkara after GT loss

Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2026 campaign ended with a 7-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans. Head Coach Kumar Sangakkara stated they were '10-15 runs short' as GT successfully chased a record target of 215, powered by Shubman Gill's century.

Rajasthan Royals suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans to end their IPL 2026 campaign, and RR's Director of Cricket and Head Coach, Kumar Sangakkara, believes that his side was short by 10 to 15 runs from where they started.

Addressing the media after the defeat, Sangakkara said, "I think the pitch did improve a little bit. I think both sides were looking to bat. It's a used pitch. But surprisingly, it actually got even, probably a little bit better than the last game as well. But I think 215 was defendable. We had a small opportunity, a sniff, when Sai skied that ball. Those small margins are what T20 games turn on."

He added, "But they batted beautifully. They bowled pretty smartly. I think we probably were about 10, 15 runs short of where we were right at that start. Yes, losing two wickets at the beginning, but I think it's a great game by both sides for us to get to 215 and for them to have done it so easily. All credit to GT."

GT's Record Chase Ends RR's Campaign

After GT put RR to bat first, a fine knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (96 in 47 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) and a cameo from Donovan Ferreira (38* in 11 balls, with two fours and four sixes) took the Royals to 214/6 in 20 overs.

Later in the chase of 215 runs, skipper Shubman Gill (104 in 53 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes) and his 167-run stand with Sai Sudharsan (58 in 32 balls, with eight fours and a six) set the platform for a three-wicket win.

This was the highest target chased in the IPL playoffs, outdoing the target of 204 chased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Mumbai Indians (MI) in last year's Qualifier two. This is also GT's highest IPL run-chase, outdoing their 204-run chase against Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2025.

Sooryavanshi's Record-Breaking Season

The 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the leading run-scorer of the season with 776 runs in 16 matches. He has made runs at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.31 with the help of 63 fours and 72 sixes. He also completed his 1,000 IPL runs, becoming the fastest in terms of balls taken, in just 440 balls, outclassing West Indies legend Andre Russell and being the second fastest in terms of innings, having reached the milestone in just 23 innings, with Shaun Marsh (21 innings) being the quickest.

'Everyone Else Stepped Up'

In the bowling department, pacer Jofra Archer took 25 wickets and ended the season as RR's leading wicket-taker. When asked if RR was over-reliant on Archer and Sooryavanshi, the head coach said, "In every season, there are players that step up and do a little bit more than the others. But I think we've had a lot of support from the other players. Jofra and Vaibhav were the stars in a lot of that. In the powerplay, the runs they've scored. But everyone around them, I get Dhruv Jurel. I mean, what a season!"

He added, "Riyan also played crucial knocks. Jaiswal, at the start of the season, had some very crucial knocks for us. Deshpande is bowling a critical over against GT. Jadeja, an economy of like eight for the whole season. Brijesh Sharma against MI, four for 27 runs. So, there are so many examples of everyone else stepping up. You'll always have stars, but when everyone else steps up around them, it makes it easier."

Sangakkara Proud of Team's Spirit

Talking about RR's highlight of the season, he said, "It's just the way the guys stuck together and stuck at their job. We've had injuries, we've had narrow saves, we played some poor cricket at times, we played some great cricket at times, and they managed themselves really well, through those ups and downs and stayed calm and stayed focused, and that was great to see."

He added, "Like I always say, we all know the skill that they bring, but what I'm really proud of is that all these cricketers, they've given their best to each other and best to the team and best to the franchise. I can't ask for anything more."

"Sometimes in cricket, you can play well and still get beaten, and today was a night where GT was better than us, but there's nowhere else or no other dressing room I'd rather be than at RR with these boys," he concluded. (ANI)

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