A masterful unbeaten 73 from Jos Buttler, coupled with Mohammed Siraj’s incisive three-wicket haul, powered Gujarat Titans to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a modest target of 170, Gujarat Titans reached 170 for two in just 17.5 overs, with Buttler and B Sai Sudharsan (49 off 36 balls) forging a crucial 75-run partnership for the second wicket. Despite an early setback with skipper Shubman Gill’s dismissal for 14, GT’s chase remained largely untroubled.
Gill struck Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six but fell on the next delivery, caught by Liam Livingstone. However, Sudharsan and Buttler steadied the innings with contrasting styles—Sudharsan exhibiting elegance with well-timed strokes, while Buttler launched a brutal assault on the RCB bowlers.
Sudharsan’s flair was evident in a stylish flick for four off Yash Dayal and a scoop over the wicketkeeper for six against Josh Hazlewood. However, his attempt to repeat the stroke proved costly as he was caught by Jitesh Sharma, moments after RCB took the second ball in the 13th over.
Buttler, meanwhile, overcame a slow start to unleash his trademark aggression. He reached his fifty with a majestic six off Livingstone over long-on and finished the match in style by hammering three sixes in an over off Hazlewood. He was ably supported by Impact Substitute Sherfane Rutherford (30 not out off 18 balls), as GT cruised to victory.
Earlier, Siraj’s exemplary spell of 3 for 19 led a disciplined GT bowling attack that restricted RCB to 169 for eight. Opting to field first, Gujarat Titans made early inroads, stifling RCB’s usually formidable batting line-up.
Virat Kohli (7) began with a sublime cover drive off Siraj but fell to left-arm pacer Arshad Khan while attempting a pull shot, caught by Prasidh Krishna at fine leg. RCB’s struggles deepened as Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, and Devdutt Padikkal were dismissed in quick succession, reducing the side to 42 for four in 6.2 overs.
Salt’s dismissal was particularly disappointing after he had struck a mammoth 105-metre six off Siraj. However, his effort to make room for a big shot saw him bowled by the pacer, a fate that soon befell Padikkal as well.
Jitesh Sharma (33 off 21) and Livingstone (54 off 40, 1x4, 5x6) provided some resistance, stitching together a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket. The impressive left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (2/22) ended the partnership, dismissing Jitesh, who was caught by Rahul Tewatia.
Livingstone, who had earlier been dropped on 9 by Tewatia off Sai Kishore, made GT pay by plundering Rashid Khan for three sixes in an over, reaching his half-century in 39 balls. His 46-run partnership with Tim David (19) ensured RCB crossed 150, but their total ultimately proved inadequate against Gujarat’s formidable batting display.
With this victory, Gujarat Titans demonstrated their title credentials, combining disciplined bowling with explosive batting, while RCB were left to rue another inconsistent performance in their IPL campaign.
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