Bengaluru, April 2 (NationPress) There was significant speculation surrounding the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium being a batting utopia once again in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. However, on Wednesday, it was a different story entirely as the Gujarat Titans showcased a brilliant performance, dominating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by eight wickets to secure their second victory of the season.

Choosing to bowl first, GT took charge immediately – former RCB player Mohammed Siraj delivered an impressive display of pace, consistently targeting the stumps to claim a remarkable 3-19 in his four overs. His early impact, which earned him the Player of the Match accolade, reduced RCB to a dismal 42/4, leaving the enthusiastic crowd in stunned silence.

It required a resilient 54 off 40 balls from Liam Livingstone, along with contributions of 33 and 32 from Jitesh Sharma and Tim David, respectively, to resuscitate RCB’s innings, allowing them to finish at 169/8. But the excitement was short-lived as Jos Buttler effectively utilized his experience, skillfully analyzing the playing conditions to strike five fours and six sixes in his unbeaten 39-ball 72.

The former England captain formed valuable partnerships of 75 and 63 with B. Sai Sudharsan and Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed 49 and 30 not out, respectively, ensuring that GT maintained control throughout their chase and completed it with 13 balls to spare.

The pitch, which had grass covering at the good length area and was not used in the previous season, offered a favorable environment for GT's fast bowlers, who exploited it effectively by targeting the good and back of the length areas.

Virat Kohli showcased a stunning cover drive off Siraj for four, followed by Phil Salt being dropped by Buttler. However, Arshad Khan returned smiles to the GT camp by outsmarting Kohli with a pull shot that resulted in a catch at deep square leg.

Devdutt Padikkal struck a delightful cover drive off Siraj for four, but the pacer claimed personal victory as he bowled Padikkal, striking the top of the off-stump. After surviving a run-out attempt, Salt smashed Siraj for a massive 105m six over the mid-wicket roof.

Siraj quickly retaliated with a scrambled seam delivery that Salt missed while charging down the pitch, leading to his off-stump being shattered. Rajat Patidar was adjudged lbw by a cross-seam delivery from Ishant Sharma, leaving RCB reeling at 42/4 in just 6.2 overs.

Jitesh responded with a counter-attacking innings, hitting three fours and a six off Ishant, and scoring boundaries off R Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan. Livingstone, meanwhile, managed to hit a four and a six, despite being dropped by Rahul Tewatia at long-on. Kishore then struck back by dismissing Jitesh and Krunal Pandya in rapid succession with variations in pace and angle.

Livingstone and Tim David found their rhythm, striking Rashid for a six and a four, respectively. After David hammered Kishore for six, Livingstone belted Rashid for three sixes, the final one bringing him his fifty in 39 balls. Shortly after achieving his milestone, he attempted to slash a short and wide delivery from Siraj but ended up nicking it behind to Buttler.

David hit Krishna for two fours and sixes in the final over before a fierce yorker from the pacer uprooted his off-stump, as RCB accumulated 64 runs in their last five overs. Chasing 170, Sudharsan made his mark in the fourth over, scooping and straight-driving Josh Hazlewood for six and four, respectively.

Shubman Gill struck Bhuvneshwar for six over long-on, but the veteran pacer had the last laugh as the GT skipper attempted to hit another maximum, only to edge it to the waiting hands of a deep third man. After GT concluded the power-play at 42/1, Sudharsan and Buttler both found success against impact player Rasikh Salam with four runs each.

Sudharsan then sliced Yash Dayal through point for a four, while Buttler executed a pull, glance, and a top edge off Salam for four and two sixes in an explosive 18-run ninth over. Runs continued to flow as Sudharsan pulled Krunal for four, and Buttler skillfully placed a cut shot between backward point and short third man for another boundary.

In a desperate bid for a wicket, RCB reintroduced Hazlewood, who responded by cramping Sudharsan with a short ball, leading to a glove edge caught by a diving Jitesh. Impact player Sherfane Rutherford then got into gear, launching Hazlewood for a four before sending Krunal over long-on for six.

Buttler shut the door on RCB’s hopes by lofting a shot over Liam Livingstone’s head for four, then sealing the match by smashing over long-on for six, reaching his fifty in 31 balls. From that point, Buttler and Rutherford continued to hit boundaries consistently, with Rutherford hitting the winning six off Hazlewood, securing GT’s second triumph of the season.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 169/8 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 54, Jitesh Sharma 33; Mohammed Siraj 3-19, R Sai Kishore 2-22) lost to Gujarat Titans 170/2 in 17.5 overs (Jos Buttler 73 not out, B. Sai Sudharsan 49, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1-23, Josh Hazlewood 1-43) by eight wickets.