Royal Challengers Bengaluru came to Ahmedabad after a big nine-wicket win over Delhi Capitals. They bowled DC out for just 75 and chased the target easily. This strong performance boosted their confidence, making RCB the favourites against an inconsistent Gujarat Titans team. However, cricket isn’t played on paper as the Shubman Gill-led side defied odds and beat RCB by four wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The visitors have a stunning batting unit, which has done remarkably well so far in the season, but in Ahmedabad, they suffered again, being bundled for 155 runs. Star batter Virat Kohli handed a cracking start to the team, smacking 28 runs off 13 balls, but once he departed, wickets fell like a house of cards. Devdutt Padikkal was the only batter to keep the scoreboard ticking, but he had very little support from the other end.
Gujarat Titans stun Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad
RCB’s middle order flopped again as Jitesh Sharma made one, Tim David added nine and Krunal Pandya scored four. They were forced to bring in Venkatesh Iyer as the Impact Player, but he too failed to live up to the expectations, scoring 12 runs off 15 balls. Gujarat bowlers, in the meantime, had a perfect outing.
Arshad Khan claimed three wickets, while Rashid Khan and Jason Holder claimed two. Courtesy of their incredible effort, RCB were bundled for 155 runs in the first innings. Shubman Gill gave Gujarat a strong start with 43 runs off 18 balls, while Jos Buttler supported him well, scoring 39 off 19 deliveries.
The duo set the tone for the home side, but once they departed, their middle order once again suffered as they kept winning wickets at regular intervals. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a fantastic outing with the ball, claiming three wickets for 28 runs in his four overs, but that wasn’t enough to contain Gujarat. Had RCB added a few more runs in the tank, it could have been a tricky affair. However, it wasn’t the night for the Patidar-led side, as Gujarat chased it down with 25 balls remaining.