Bengaluru: Gujarat Titans (GT) snapped Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) winning streak with a convincing eight-wicket win at RCB’s home ground on Wednesday. This victory marked Gujarat’s second win in three matches, while Bengaluru slipped to third place in the points table following their first defeat of the season.
Siraj’s Bowling Masterclass Restricts RCB
Led by an exceptional bowling spell from Mohammed Siraj (3/19), Gujarat restricted RCB to 169/8 in 20 overs. Bengaluru had a shaky start, losing four wickets for just 42 runs, but managed to post a competitive total thanks to the contributions of Liam Livingstone (52), Jitesh Sharma (33), and Tim David (32).
Livingstone played a crucial knock, adding 52 runs for the fifth wicket with Jitesh and 46 runs for the seventh wicket with Tim. His aggressive stroke play, including three sixes off Rashid Khan in the 18th over, helped RCB score 64 runs in the last five overs. However, Gujarat’s disciplined bowling attack ensured that RCB couldn’t post an overwhelming target.
Buttler’s Unbeaten 73 Powers Gujarat to Victory
Chasing 170, Gujarat comfortably reached the target in 17.5 overs, losing just two wickets. Jos Buttler played a match-winning knock of 73 runs*, forming vital partnerships with *Sai Sudharsan (49) and Sherfane Rutherford (30)**. Captain Shubman Gill (14) fell early, but Buttler’s composed innings ensured an easy chase.
RCB’s Top-Order Collapse and Kohli’s Milestone
RCB’s innings started poorly as they lost three wickets for just 35 runs in five overs. Virat Kohli (7) briefly entertained with a boundary but was dismissed by Arshad Khan, caught at long leg. Devdutt Padikkal and Phil Salt also fell cheaply to Siraj’s fiery spell.
Despite the loss, Kohli achieved another IPL milestone, becoming the highest run-scorer against Gujarat Titans with 351 runs in seven matches, surpassing Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 350 runs. This also made him the leading run-scorer against four IPL teams—Delhi (1057), Chennai (1084), Rajasthan (764), and now Gujarat. Only David Warner has scored the most runs against multiple teams, holding records against Punjab (1134) and Kolkata (1093).
Match Summary:
- RCB: 169/8 (20 overs)
- Livingstone 52 (39), Jitesh Sharma 33 (23), Tim David 32 (18)
- Mohammed Siraj 3/19, Sai Kishore 2/28
- Gujarat Titans: 172/2 (17.5 overs)
- Jos Buttler 73* (51), Sai Sudharsan 49 (34), Rutherford 30* (21)
With this dominant victory, Gujarat Titans have gained momentum, while RCB will look to bounce back in their next match.