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GT's batting paradise continues
Jofra Archer, having made a commendable recovery from the intense performance in the opening match, commenced his bowling spell effectively once again. This led to an early breakthrough for the Royals, as Archer delivered an inswinging delivery that breached Shubman Gill’s defense, dislodging the off stump. The initial three overs were dominated by the Royals; however, the Titans made a comeback when Sai Sudharsan executed a ramp shot against Fazalhaq Farooqi for a six. He replicated this shot in the subsequent over against Tushar Deshpande and added a couple of boundaries, resulting in a fruitful second half of the powerplay for the Titans.
Jos Buttler, who had a shaky start during the powerplay, quickly found his rhythm once the fielding restrictions were lifted, targeting Maheesh Theekshana and Deshpande for several boundaries. Nevertheless, Theekshana ultimately triumphed by trapping Buttler leg-before-wicket. The Royals reintroduced Archer for an over in an attempt to challenge the new batter, but Shahrukh Khan managed to play him cautiously while also scoring successive boundaries off Farooqi. He intensified his attack on Theekshana, scoring 16 runs in one over, allowing the Titans to seize control as the slog overs approached.
Despite the batting side appearing to hold the upper hand, the Royals mounted a timely response. Sudharsan continued to excel, surpassing another fifty, but Theekshana bowled a delivery well outside off stump that resulted in Shahrukh being stumped. Sandeep Sharma then bowled a wide delivery to Sherfane Rutherford, leading to an edge behind. Although they had the opportunity to capitalize on this momentum, Sudharsan remained in fine form, executing several remarkable shots to reach the 80s and help the Titans regain their advantage. After he was eventually caught behind following an inside edge, the Titans benefited from valuable contributions from Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan, as the pair consistently found the boundaries, propelling their team to a total nearing 220.
RR fail to chase a compelling target
Any slim chance the Royals had as they entered the final overs relied entirely on Hetmyer delivering an exceptional performance. He began this crucial phase with a boundary that secured his fifty, but Prasidh responded effectively with two short balls, claiming two wickets, including that of the West Indian, which effectively sealed the match. Sai Kishore, who was brought into the attack late, took the last two wickets, ensuring a straightforward victory for his team.
After achieving the desired outcome with the bat, the Titans also made a remarkable start with the ball, further establishing their dominance in the match. Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed when he sliced a ball directly to Rashid at deep backward point, and Nitish Rana executed a well-timed uppercut, only to find third man, leaving the Royals at 12/2. Sanju Samson then showcased some exquisite shots off Arshad Khan to relieve the pressure. Meanwhile, Riyan Parag struck two impressive sixes off Mohammed Siraj as the Royals sought to regain their footing in the match.
In terms of runs, the Royals were not far behind the Titans. Similar to the powerplay, they managed to score nearly the same amount during the middle overs. However, their downfall was evident in the wickets column. Parag edged one behind, and in the subsequent over, Rashid dismissed Dhruv Jurel with a googly. To compound their troubles, Samson was the next to go as Prasidh Krishna opened his account. Although Hetmyer hit a few powerful shots, it did little to aid their cause as the Royals continued to lose wickets at the other end.
SCORECARD: Gujarat Titans 217/6 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 82, Shahrukh Khan 36, Jos Buttler) beat Rajasthan Royals 159 in 19.2 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 52; Prasidh Krishna 3/24, Sai Kishore 2/20) by 58 runs
