 "GT beat RR by a massive margin of 58 runs to go on top of the table. Image: Reuters")
In their IPL 2025 clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Titans (GT) asserted their dominance with a commanding 58-run win. The victory came off the back of a Player-of-the-Match performance from Sai Sudharsan and a ruthless bowling display from Prasidh Krishna, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, and Mohammed Siraj.
Batting first, GT put up a formidable 217/6, led by Sai Sudharsan’s scintillating 82 off 53 balls. Supporting knocks came from Jos Buttler (36), Shahrukh Khan (36), and a fiery 24 not-out from Rahul Tewatia. RR’s bowlers faltered under pressure, with Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana leaking a combined 107 runs in 8 overs. RR captain Sanju Samson admitted his team was off the mark.
Sanju Samson admits: We went off plan
“We gave away 15-20 runs extra in the bowling. When we needed momentum, we lost wickets. With Hettie (Hetmyer), sixes and fours kept coming. But I lost my wicket and that’s where we lost the game," Samson admitted after the defeat.
The match began with early promise for RR, as Jofra Archer removed Shubman Gill cheaply. But things spiraled from there. Gujarat piled on a mammoth total while RR’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs, particularly in the final five overs.
“The way Jofra started was good. He picked up Shubman’s wicket. Then we went off plan. We planned something but they executed something else. We’ll have to look at that tomorrow,” Samson added.
Gill praises all-round bowling effort
For GT, it was all smiles. Captain Shubman Gill praised the bowlers after the match. “Our fast bowlers are doing a tremendous job. Everyone is chipping in. When you have bowlers like we do, captaincy becomes easy. Whosoever I bring in, they are happy to contribute. We have Ishi bhai, who has played 100 Tests for us, everyone is nice.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSudharsan, who was named Player of the Match for his 82 off 53 balls and two catches, emphasised GT’s planning and clarity. “IPL is a tournament where you need momentum at the start. Our goal was to have a lot of wickets in hand, it worked well. There is awareness. We are clear on what to do. If we lose wickets early, a set batter has to play. If we give the hitters the right platform, we can make use of the last five-seven overs.”