GT crush Royals as Rashid and Gill dominate in Jaipur
Gujarat Titans climbed to second place in the IPL standings with a dominant 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, powered by commanding performances from Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Rashid Khan.
GT posted 229 for 4 after Gill and Sai Sudharsan laid the foundation with a 118-run opening partnership. Rashid then turned the chase decisively in Gujarat’s favour with a match-winning spell of 4 for 36 as Rajasthan collapsed from a promising position.
Rajasthan Royals were 86 for 3 in seven overs and still keeping pace with the target when Rashid bowled Dhruv Jurel with a sharp legbreak. That dismissal triggered a collapse that completely derailed the chase, as RR eventually folded for 152.
GT openers dominate the powerplay
An all-pink Jaipur welcomed both teams as Rajasthan Royals wore special jerseys in support of their women’s empowerment initiative, but Gujarat Titans settled into the conditions far quicker.
Jofra Archer’s opening over lasted 11 deliveries and included nine extras, making it the longest first over in IPL history. Gill and Sai Sudharsan capitalised immediately without taking major risks, racing to 18 without loss after the first over.
The pair continued to score freely through the ‘V’, punishing anything on the pads or too short. By the end of the powerplay, GT had surged to 82 for 0 and were closing in on yet another century opening partnership. It became their ninth 100-plus stand together, the second-most by an IPL pair behind Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Both batters reached their half-centuries off 30 balls, maintaining Gujarat’s control despite Rajasthan attempting to tighten the middle overs.
RR slow Gujarat through middle phase
Yash Raj Punja and Ravindra Jadeja helped Rajasthan Royals regain some control after the explosive start.
Although there was little assistance from the surface, the pair bowled disciplined lines and restricted easy boundary opportunities. Gill also appeared hampered by a leg injury while running between wickets, which slowed Gujarat’s momentum slightly.
Punja eventually dismissed Sai Sudharsan for 55 off 36 balls after he holed out to long-on, while Jadeja hurried Jos Buttler with a quicker delivery clocked at 107kph that resulted in a catch at long-off.
At one stage, GT looked set to finish below 220 after slipping to 208 for 4 at the end of the 19th over. Brijesh Sharma had delivered an excellent penultimate over, conceding only four runs while dismissing Jason Holder with clever variations.
Tewatia and Washington provide late surge
Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar ensured Gujarat finished strongly after Tushar Deshpande lost control in the final over.
Tewatia shuffled around the crease to launch back-to-back sixes before Washington added another maximum of his own. GT plundered valuable late runs to finish on 229 for 4, a total that ultimately proved far beyond Rajasthan’s reach.
The late acceleration gave Gujarat crucial breathing space after Rajasthan had threatened to stay in the contest during the early stages of the chase.
Rashid changes the match completely
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi threatened another explosive innings when he smashed Mohammed Siraj for six off the very first ball he faced. Moments later, Siraj nearly bowled him with a yorker before the young batter recovered to hammer three boundaries in four deliveries.
Sooryavanshi raced to 36 off just 16 balls before Siraj forced a miscued hook to square leg. Gujarat then tightened their grip through Rashid Khan.
Dhruv Jurel had looked dangerous on 24 off 9 balls before Rashid beat his attempted slog and rattled the stumps. From there, the Afghanistan legspinner dismantled the chase.
Donovan Ferreira was beaten by sharp turn through the gate, while Harsh Dubey missed a slog completely to give Rashid his third straight wicket. Ravindra Jadeja briefly counterattacked with a six over backward square leg, but Rashid trapped him lbw with the very next delivery.
Rashid mixed his legbreaks cleverly throughout the spell and consistently extracted more turn than any other spinner on the night. His four wickets proved the defining difference between the two teams.
GT continue strong surge up the table
Jason Holder wrapped up the innings with three wickets in five deliveries as Rajasthan Royals suffered their third defeat in four matches.
Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, moved up to second place with 14 points and extended their winning streak to four matches. The balance between explosive top-order batting and a disciplined bowling attack continues to make GT one of the strongest sides in the competition.
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