IPL 2026: Winning more important than NRR, says GT's Kagiso Rabada

After GT's third straight IPL 2026 win, pacer Kagiso Rabada said the team's priority is winning matches, not improving their net run rate. He believes momentum is key and NRR will improve naturally over the long tournament.

Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer Kagiso Rabada said that prioritising a win is more important than looking to improve the net run rate (NRR), after the team registered their third consecutive win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday. GT handed KKR a five-wicket defeat, riding on the back of captain Shubman Gill's 86-run knock and Kagiso Rabada's bowling figures of 3/29 in 4 overs earlier in the match. With the win, GT now find themselves placed fourth on the points table.

While the Gujarat Titans are on a three-match winning streak, their NRR remains only slightly above zero. In contrast, several other teams have much stronger NRR figures--well over 0.300--with table-toppers Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru both boasting NRRs exceeding +1. However, speaking at the post-match press conference, Rabada said that the team's main focus should be on winning games, not worrying about net run rate. He pointed out that with many matches still left in the tournament, there's enough time for the team to improve the NRR. According to him, performance and momentum across games matter more than actively chasing a better NRR.

'Prioritise the win first': Rabada on NRR concerns

"The most important thing as a team is to prioritise the win first. And the net run rate, it will come. This is only game number five? So there are quite a few more games left, nine games. There's a lot of games to improve that, and sometimes it's just momentum. That kind of stuff is momentum. You don't want to go into a game wanting to get your net run rate higher. It's more momentum and how a team is playing throughout the different scenarios," the GT pacer said.

He stressed the importance of playing according to the situation, trusting the team's batting depth, and allowing players to stick to their natural game without interference. "Look, the most important thing is to win. The net run rate is something that you want to be good, but I don't think it's something that you prioritise. I think prioritising the win first is important and playing the situation accordingly. We know that we have the depth and the skill to score quicker, especially in the middle overs. But then again, you have to trust the guys in the middle. You have to trust their natural games, because they know what they're doing in the middle there. Those same guys are not coming to me telling me how to bowl, so we're not going to tell them how to bat," Rabada said.

GT will next face the Mumbai Indians on Monday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)