Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) strengthened their position near the top of the table with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) on Friday, chasing down the target with seven balls to spare. Punjab lead the standings with 11 points, followed by Bengaluru (10 points) in second and Rajasthan (10 points) in third. Rajasthan trail Bengaluru due to a marginally lower net run rate, while Gujarat sit seventh.
After Gujarat posted 205 for 3, Bengaluru chased down 206 in 18.5 overs, losing five wickets. Virat Kohli starred with 81 off 44 balls (4 sixes, 8 fours) and emerged as the match-winner. He became the first player in the 19-year history of the IPL to hit 300 sixes for a single franchise (RCB). He also became the first player to reach 800 fours in the tournament.
Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (55 off 27 balls; 6 sixes, 2 fours) stitched a match-winning 115-run partnership for the second wicket. Krunal Pandya (23) and Tim David (10) remained unbeaten. For Gujarat, Rashid Khan picked up two wickets, while Mohammed Siraj, Jason Holder, and Manav Suthar took one each.
RCB’s debutant Jacob Bethell scored 14, captain Rajat Patidar managed 8, and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma added just 10.
Sai Sudharsan Becomes Fifth Centurion of the Season
Earlier, Gujarat set a target of 206, scoring 205 for 3 in 20 overs. Opener Sai Sudharsan smashed a brilliant 100 off 57 balls (5 sixes, 10 fours), becoming the fifth centurion of the season. A total of six centuries have been recorded so far this season, with two coming from Sanju Samson. Four centuries have been scored in the last five days alone.
Sudharsan was dismissed immediately after reaching his century, caught off Josh Hazlewood on exactly 100. He shared a 128-run opening partnership with captain Shubman Gill (32) and later added 32 runs with Jos Buttler.
Making his debut this season, Jason Holder contributed an unbeaten 23 off 10 balls (2 sixes, 1 four) to take Gujarat past the 200-run mark. The 20th over, bowled by Krunal Pandya, yielded 18 runs, including two sixes and a four from Holder. Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 19.
First Match for ₹7 Crore Signing Holder
RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to field. Phil Salt missed out due to injury, paving the way for Jacob Bethell’s inclusion. Gujarat handed a debut to Caribbean all-rounder Jason Holder, bought for ₹7 crore, and he delivered an impressive all-round performance with both bat and ball. He scored an unbeaten 23 and also claimed a wicket. Manav Suthar was also included in the playing XI.
With the pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium expected to offer limited assistance to spinners and favor batting, a high-scoring contest was anticipated—and it lived up to expectations.
Saturday Fixtures
Delhi vs Punjab — in Delhi, 3:30 PM
Rajasthan vs Hyderabad — in Jaipur, 7:30 PM
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