In an exhilarating match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) emerged victorious over Gujarat Titans (GT) by four wickets in their TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 showdown. It was a match characterized by a strong bowling performance from RCB and a solid start from their openers, ensuring that the two points belonged to the home team despite some late-game jitters.
The match began with RCB winning the toss and opting to bowl on a pitch that seemed to favor the bowlers. This decision paid off handsomely as RCB’s bowlers dominated the early proceedings, restricting GT to a modest total of 147. At the end of the powerplay, GT found themselves in a precarious position at 23 for three, marking the lowest powerplay score in the TATA IPL 2024 thus far. This poor start underscored the bowling prowess of RCB.
RCB’s opening bowlers set the tone early, with Mohd. Siraj spearheading the attack. Siraj dismissed Wriddhiman Saha in the second over, forcing an edge to the wicketkeeper. His relentless pace and precision continued as he managed to send Shubman Gill back to the pavilion by inducing a top-edge that was caught on the off-side. GT’s woes multiplied when their leading run-scorer this year, Sai Sudharsan, attempted a pull shot off Cameron Green’s delivery, only to be caught at mid-off.
GT’s troubles were momentarily alleviated by a partnership between David Miller and Shahrukh Khan. Miller scored a spirited 30 off 20 balls, while Shahrukh contributed 37 off 24 balls. Their collaboration added a valuable 61 runs off 37 balls, giving GT a glimmer of hope. Miller broke the boundary shackles by hitting the first six of the match off Karn Sharma in the 10th over, followed by a towering six from Shahrukh over long-on in the next over. However, Miller’s attempt to exploit Sharma’s bowling further backfired as he was caught at long-on.
The tides turned once again when Shahrukh was run out by a direct hit from Virat Kohli. This setback left GT at 87 for five by the 13th over. Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia tried to mount a comeback with an attacking partnership.
. Tewatia’s aggressive batting yielded 19 runs off Karn Sharma in the 16th over, featuring a six and three boundaries. Rashid contributed with a quick 18, including two fours and a six, before being bowled out by Yash Dayal. Tewatia’s dismissal soon followed, as he was caught by Vijaykumar Vyshak while attempting a pull.
Despite GT’s introduction of Vijay Shankar as an impact substitute to bolster their lineup, they couldn’t withstand the relentless pressure. Three wickets fell in the final over, leaving GT all out for 147.
RCB’s innings started with a bang, courtesy of a commanding opening partnership between captain Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli. Kohli set the tone with a six off Mohit Sharma and a boundary through mid-wicket. Meanwhile, du Plessis went after Joshua Little, smashing 20 runs in the second over with three fours and a six. Manav Suthar, playing in his TATA IPL debut for GT, was not spared either as du Plessis hit a massive six followed by a four.
Du Plessis was in sublime form, reaching his fifty off just 18 balls, much to the delight of Kohli, who watched his captain decimate the GT bowling attack. However, the momentum shifted when du Plessis was dismissed for an electrifying 64 off 23 balls by Little. Despite the good start, RCB experienced a minor slump as Noor Ahmad and Little struck back for GT. Noor dismissed Will Jacks in the seventh over, and Little snared Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell in quick succession, reducing RCB to a precarious 117 for six.
The match entered a tense phase when Kohli, having scored 42 off 27 balls, edged a delivery from Noor to Saha, leaving RCB reeling from a commanding 92 for no loss to a nervous 117 for six. The stage was set for an intense finish as Dinesh Karthik and Swapnil Singh took charge of the situation.
Karthik and Swapnil’s sensible batting steadied the ship. Their partnership ensured RCB reached the target without further loss, wrapping up the chase in the 14th over. The victory provided a significant boost for RCB, showcasing their ability to prevail under pressure and earn a well-deserved win.
