Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 30 (ANI): Gujarat Titans (GT) scored a comfortable win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by four wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler starred with the bat during the 156-run chase, which GT completed in 15.4 overs. Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, and Jason Holder delivered with the ball to restrict RCB to a below-par total earlier in the match.
Bowling first, GT restricted RCB to just 155 after excellent performances by Arshad (3/22 in 3.2 overs), Rashid (2/19 in 4 overs) and Holder (2/29 in 4 overs). In the chase, Shubman Gill (43 off 18 balls) and Jos Buttler (39 off 19 balls) starred for the hosts.
Chasing the target of 156, Shubman Gill got GT off to a flyer as he launched big hits right from the first over, where the Gujarat-based franchise got 12 runs.
Gill unleashed an attack on RCB bowler Josh Hazlewood in the second over as he smashed the Aussie quick for 24 runs in the over, hitting three boundaries and two sixes.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/28 in 4 overs), however, provided the first breakthrough for RCB by dismissing Sai Sudharsan (6) in the third over.
New batter Jos Buttler was given a reprieve when he was dropped by RCB’s Jitesh Sharma off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood (0/56 in 4 overs) in the fourth over, and the batter made the opposition pay on the very next ball as he slammed a six on the last ball of the fourth over, taking RCB to 55/1 after 4 overs.
Bhuvneshwar claimed his second wicket for the day as he dismissed GT skipper Shubman Gill in the fifth over. After five overs, GT were 57/2 after 5 overs.
Hazlewood returned to bowl his third over for the day but conceded runs as Buttler scored a six and a four, helping GT get 12 runs off the sixth over to stand at 69/2 after Powerplay.
Buttler continued his big-hitting as he slammed two sixes off Suyash Sharma’s first over as GT stood 86/2 after 7 overs.
Bhuvneshwar returned and made an immediate impact as he dismissed the threatening Jos Buttler in the eighth over, but GT had already gotten past the 90-run mark by then.
Washington Sundar (12) and Shahrukh Khan (8) stitched a 17-run partnership before both were dismissed in the 11th over to Romario Shepherd. However, GT stood 122/5 after 11 overs, cruising towards victory despite the hiccups.
Rahul Tewatia (27) and Jason Holder drove RCB even closer to victory with a 36-run partnership before the latter fell to Suyash Sharma in the 14th over as RCB stood 141/6 after 14 overs. Holder’s wicket proved to be the last that RCB claimed as Tewatia, along with Rashid Khan (7), took GT over the winning line as the host won by four wickets.
Earlier in the match, RCB endured a dramatic batting collapse after a promising start against GT, as wickets fell at regular intervals to derail their innings.
Despite a brisk opening stand led by Virat Kohli, RCB failed to convert their start into a big total and were eventually bowled out for 155 in 19.2 overs, with the Titans’ bowlers sharing the spoils in a disciplined display.
After being put in to bat first, the defending champions made a strong start to their innings. RCB opener Virat Kohli took on GT pacer Kagiso Rabada, hitting five consecutive boundaries in the second over as the score raced to 27 without loss.
However, momentum shifted in the very next over when Mohammed Siraj dismissed Jacob Bethell for 5.
Soon after, in the fourth over, Rabada struck back, removing the dangerous Kohli for 28 off 13 balls. Kohli’s innings included five fours and a six, as RCB slipped to 39/2 after a promising start.
After the end of the power play, the defending champions reached 59/2.
In the fourth ball of the eighth over, Arshad Khan provided another breakthrough by dismissing RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who scored 19 off 15 balls with two fours and a six.
The pressure continued in the following overs as Jason Holder sent back Jitesh Sharma for just 1. The visitors then lost another quick wicket when leg-spinner Rashid Khan removed Tim David for 9 runs. By the end of the 10th over, RCB had slumped to 91/5.
The collapse continued for RCB as they lost their sixth wicket when Arshad Khan dismissed Krunal Pandya for just four runs.
By the end of the 13th over, Romario Shepherd and Devdutt Padikkal had steadied the innings, taking the score to 113/6.
However, just as the partnership began to grow, Rashid Khan struck in the 14th over, clean bowling Padikkal for a fluent 40 off 24 balls, which included five fours and two sixes.
Jason Holder broke through again, removing Shepherd for 17, an innings featuring two sixes. RCB were left reeling at 132/8 after 15 overs.
Towards the closing stages, Venkatesh Iyer scored 12 off 15 balls, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar remained unbeaten on 15 to guide RCB to a fighting total of 155. The defending champions were eventually bowled out in 19.2 overs.
For the Titans, Mohammed Siraj (1/38) and Kagiso Rabada (1/44) picked up a wicket each. Jason Holder (2/29) and Rashid Khan (2/19) claimed two wickets apiece, while Arshad Khan starred with a three-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 3/22. (ANI)
