The Gujarat Titans (GT) achieved a remarkable eight-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which was propelled by Jos Buttler’s explosive knock of 73* and an outstanding bowling performance of 3 for 19 from Mohammed Siraj. The victory, which was GT’s second in three matches, put an end to RCB’s perfect start to IPL 2025, landing them with just one loss following two victories.
RCB put forth a stiff target of 170 runs, making the most of their innings with an aggressive 54 from Liam Livingstone off 39 balls. Although RCB’s middle order made a solid contribution to the innings with Jitesh Sharma scoring 33 runs and Tim David scoring 32 runs, RCB’s total of 169 for 8 never looked like a serious challenge for GT’s batting firepower.
The standout bowler of the day, Siraj, was excellent during the powerplay. Bowling at speeds greater than 140 kph, Siraj dismantled RCB’s top order, achieving two key wickets with his first spell, finishing with figures of 3 for 19. The spell was impressive in regards to accuracy, as eight of Siraj’s deliveries would land in line with the stumps, generating intense pressure from the get go.
The RCB innings got off to a rough start as they went from 42 for 4 after just over six overs. Livingstone tried his best to put up a fight for RCB, and David hit a few late sixes, but the Titans bowlers, led by Siraj and an economical 2 for 22 from R Sai Kishore, restricted RCB to a poor total. Chasing 170, the GT lost Shubman Gill early but Buttler and Sai Sudharsan put together a 75-run partnership in only 47 balls to steady the innings.
Buttler was under pressure to perform coming into the match after a comprehensive effort, but quickly got himself going, hammering an electric 27 runs off 12 balls against Rasikh Salam. Buttler picked up the pace after his boundaries, making his half-century off only 31 balls to show some consistency in together team.
Sudharsan contributed solidly with 49 runs off 36 balls before he was dismissed. Sherfane Rutherford, as the Impact Sub, joined the acceleration with explosive results, smashing 30* off only 18 balls. Buttler and Rutherford’s partnership of 63 runs off just 32 balls took GT home with 13 balls to spare.The outcome placed GT in an advantageous and favorable position early in the tournament, while RCB’s first defeat gives them a lot to think about as they look to respond to this heavy defeat.
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Scorecard: RCB vs GT, 14th Match IPL 2025, Bengaluru, April 02, 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 169/8
Liam Livingston 54 (40)
Jitesh Sharma 33 (21)
Tim David 32(18)
Mohammad Siraj 3/19
Sai Kishore 2/22
Arshad Khan 1/17
Gujarat Titans 170/2
Jos Butler 73 (39)
Sai Sudharshan 49 (36)
Sherfane Rutherford 30 (18)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/23
Josh Hazelwood 1/43
Yash Dayal 0/20
