Royal Challengers Bengaluru experienced their first loss of the season after a dominant performance by Gujarat Titans at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, April 2. A former RCB player played a pivotal role in their defeat, as Mohammed Siraj delivered an outstanding bowling performance. This was complemented by aggressive batting from Jos Buttler, leading the visitors to a convincing victory by eight wickets, with 13 balls remaining.
Mohammad Siraj's redemption arc for GT
Siraj was on point from the outset, even though Virat Kohli struck a beautiful boundary off his second delivery. He nearly dismissed Phil Salt in the first over, but Buttler failed to catch a straightforward opportunity. Nevertheless, Siraj remained persistent and succeeded in his next over, delivering a ball that sharply angled back in to dismantle Devdutt Padikkal’s stumps. Prior to this, RCB faced a setback when Arshad Khan claimed the crucial wicket of Kohli, who hit a well-timed shot directly to a fielder at deep backward square leg. Despite this, the powerplay was dominated by Siraj, who was granted a third consecutive over by Gill. Although Salt managed to break free with an impressive 105-meter six, Siraj responded effectively with a fuller delivery that knocked the stumps. The pitch clearly offered assistance to the fast bowlers, as Prasidh Krishna also showcased movement off the surface during his first over, concluding the powerplay on a high note.
Ishant Sharma took the ball right after the sixth over and bowled a fuller delivery, which was promptly dispatched for a boundary by RCB’s captain, Rajat Patidar. However, the seasoned bowler quickly corrected his mistake by adjusting his length, successfully trapping Patidar in front of the wickets and adding to the home team’s woes. Following this, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma worked together to stabilize the innings with a valuable partnership. Jitesh was particularly aggressive against Ishant, hitting him for several boundaries and a six in a single over, effectively removing him from the attack. The Titans then employed both Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan in tandem; while the Afghan spinner was unexpectedly costly, the left-arm spinner helped regain control for his side. Rahul Tewatia, who had previously dropped a catch in Sai Kishore’s over, successfully held onto a chance from Jitesh this time. Meanwhile, Livingstone continued to benefit from some fortune after Jos Buttler made a second error, and Sai Kishore bowled a cleverly disguised carrom ball to claim the wicket of Krunal Pandya.
An innings that seemed stagnant, particularly after Sai Kishore’s two quick wickets, gained momentum when Livingstone began to dominate Rashid’s bowling. He struck a six off Rashid in his second-to-last over, but it was the final over that proved detrimental to the Titans. Sai Kishore misjudged a catch near the boundary, allowing the ball to sail over the ropes, and Livingstone capitalized by hitting two more balls for six, much to the delight of the RCB supporters. This performance also marked his impressive fifty. Although Siraj returned to bowl a superb over, concluding his spell with Livingstone’s wicket, Prasidh faced a barrage from Tim David, who hit him for 4, 6, and 4, pushing the score perilously close to 170. However, Prasidh redeemed himself by dismissing David with a perfectly executed yorker on the final delivery, leaving RCB with a total of 169—an outcome that seemed improbable by the end of the 15th over.
Jos Buttler and Sai Kishore chase the target yet again
Considering the advantage the Titans’ pacers gained with the new ball, Gill and Sai Sudharsan faced a significant challenge against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood during the powerplay. The initial three overs saw little action until Sudharsan surprised Hazlewood with a ramp shot that reached the boundary, followed by an impeccable straight drive for four runs. Gaining some momentum, Gill hit Bhuvneshwar for a towering six, but in his attempt to replicate the shot on the next delivery, he mis-timed the ball and was dismissed. The Titans concluded the powerplay at 42/1, a modest score that was satisfactory given they had successfully navigated five overs against Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood without significant damage.
After the powerplay, the match turned decisively in favor of the Titans. Rasikh Salam was introduced into the attack, and both Sudharsan and Buttler greeted him with boundaries, with Buttler particularly aggressive in an over that yielded 18 runs. Sudharsan, displaying composure, struck Krunal for a boundary and added two more against the left-arm spinner, asserting his dominance. Just as the Titans seemed to be taking control, Hazlewood returned to dismiss Sudharsan, who failed to connect cleanly with another ramp shot. Nevertheless, Buttler continued to thrive, reaching his fifty with a four and a six off Livingstone, while Sherfane Rutherford also made a solid start at the other end.
The chase was firmly in GT’s favor when the target was reduced to 29 runs off 24 balls. At that moment, Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood each had one over remaining, with RCB clinging to their slim hopes. However, what followed was exceptional batting from both Buttler and Rutherford. The West Indian launched Bhuvneshwar for a colossal six, and Buttler responded with two spectacular sixes off Hazlewood, encapsulating the home side’s struggles. Rutherford then added to the onslaught with a third six in the over, sending the ball over the boundary to secure the victory.
SCORECARD: Royal Challengers Bengaluru169/8 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 54; Mohammed Siraj 3/19, Sai Kishore 2/22) lost to Gujarat Titans 170/2 in 17.5 overs (Jos Buttler 73*, Sai Sudharsan 49) by 8 wickets
