Jaipur: Gujarat Titans strengthened their playoff hopes with a commanding 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals on Saturday. Shubman Gill narrowly missed out on his maiden century this season, but his brilliant knock of 84 off 44 balls, including three sixes and nine fours, laid the foundation for Gujarat’s dominant win. Spinner Rashid Khan emerged as the best bowler of the match with figures of 4-0-33-4. Chasing Gujarat’s imposing 229/4, Rajasthan were bowled out for just 152 in 16.3 overs.
Gujarat registered their seventh win in 11 matches and climbed to second place on the points table. Sunrisers Hyderabad remain at the top due to a superior net run rate, with both teams tied on 14 points. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are third. Rajasthan slipped to fifth place, making their playoff path more difficult despite possessing several star batters.
Rajasthan started positively in the chase of 230, but the loss of three wickets in quick succession derailed the innings. It was announced before the match that Riyan Parag missed the game because of a leg injury. Stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for just three runs, while youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again paid the price for his aggressive approach. Attacking both Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, he smashed 36 off 16 balls with three sixes and three fours before falling into Siraj’s trap. He mistimed a 146.6 kmph delivery to short fine leg, where Arshad Khan completed the catch. After that, Shimron Hetmyer scored six, Dhruv Jurel made 24 and Donovan Ferreira managed only four before getting out.
Ravindra Jadeja tried to resist with 38 off 25 balls, including two sixes and three fours, but after the dismissals of Jurel, Ferreira and Shubham Dubey, Jadeja too became one of Rashid Khan’s victims. Rashid finished with four wickets for 33 runs, while Jason Holder claimed 3 for 12. Rabada took two wickets for 33 runs and Siraj picked up one wicket.
Earlier, Gujarat Titans posted a massive 229/4 in 20 overs to set Rajasthan a challenging target of 230. Captain Gill missed a century but dazzled with his 84-run innings. He shared a 118-run opening partnership with Sai Sudharsan, who scored 55. Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 37 off just 20 balls, striking at 185.00 with three sixes and two fours. Rahul Tewatia stayed not out on 14 with two sixes. Fast bowler Brijesh Sharma took two of the four Gujarat wickets.
Sunday Fixtures:
Lucknow vs Chennai and Mumbai vs Bengaluru
Chennai/Raipur: Two IPL matches will be played on Sunday. The afternoon clash in Chennai between Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings (3:30 PM IST) is especially crucial for Chennai’s playoff hopes. Lucknow are currently placed 10th, while Chennai still have a comparatively better chance of reaching the playoffs.
Also Read:
The second match of the day will be played in Raipur between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (7:30 PM IST). Mumbai, currently ninth on the table, have only a slim chance of making the knockout stage.