AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Titans’ bowling attack delivered another masterclass at the Narendra Modi Stadium, propelling the team to the summit of the IPL points table and edging closer to a playoffs berth. Relying on a sluggish black soil pitch that offered assistance, seamers Mohammad Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Holder, and Prasidh Krishna tore through the powerful Sunrisers Hyderabad batting lineup, securing an 82-run victory while defending a modest 168.
Siraj (1/11) ignited the collapse by dismissing Travis Head, caught at third man off an outside edge in his first over. Rabada (3/28) then ripped through the top order, claiming Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Smaran Ravichandran inside the powerplay, effectively ending the contest. Heinrich Klaasen posed the only threat, but his dismissal by Holder when the score was 56-6 sealed the match.
Earlier, the Titans’ batters set a competitive 168/5. With the ball holding up slightly, openers B Sai Sudharsan (61 off 44 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) and Washington Sundar (50 off 33 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) anchored the innings with half-centuries. Captain Shubman Gill fell cheaply, caught at mid-on off Praful Hinge, while Jos Buttler (7) struggled against accurate bowling and was caught behind off a faint edge after a successful review. Nishant Sindhu (22 off 14) injected momentum before driving straight to long-off. Sundar and Sudharsan then added 60 runs off 41 balls to give the innings shape.
