Fortune might have changed for Royal Challengers Bengaluru a little too late, but it certainly has as the bottom-dweller of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) secured their second consecutive win, and with some razzmatazz, as they defeated Gujarat Titans by 9 wickets. Chasing a target of 201 runs, Bengaluru required only 16 overs to complete the task, courtesy of Will Jacks’ century and Virat Kohli’s 44-ball 70.
Though their opposition was not Sunrisers Hyderabad on this occasion, Bengaluru’s openers, Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis started how they did in the last match, with the first three overs yielding 37 runs.
Sai Kishore dismissed du Plessis in the fourth over, but that was about all Gujarat could do in the chase. Bengaluru were 63/1 after the powerplay, and by the ninth over, Kohli and Jacks had built a 50-run second-wicket stand.
An over later, Kohli brought up his half-century, taking only 32 deliveries to so, in what was another evidence of the batter adapting to the nascent needs of the game. Interestingly, Jacks had only scored a run-a-ball 16 at that point, but in his next 25 deliveries, he accumulated 84 runs.
The majority of the onslaught was inflicted on Mohit Sharma, who, only a few days after bowling the most expensive spell in the history of the competition, conceded 41 runs in two overs. The 15th over of the match produced 29 runs, and if that was not impressive enough, Jacks only did it again in the 16th over, with the bowler on this occasion being Rashid Khan.
Sudharsan & Shahrukh Take GT to 200
Earlier, Sai Sudharsan (84) and M. Shahrukh Khan (58) slammed brilliant fifties as Gujarat Titans scored 200/3. After being asked to bat first, the hosts didn’t get a positive start as Wriddhiman Saha (5) and Shubman Gill (16) failed to impress on a slow-looking track. It was Swapnil Singh who got the first breakthrough for Bengaluru. He got the better of Saha in the very first over.
Gill then tried to build up a partnership with Sai Sudharsan. The duo managed to rotate the strike and at the end of the first powerplay (6 overs), Gujarat scored 42/1. However, soon after that, comeback man Glenn Maxwell dismissed Gill to further jolt the Gujarat camp.
But a smart move by coach Ashish Nehra of sending Shahrukh up the order proved fruitful. Shahrukh played some fearless cricket to guide his team to a better-looking total. He hit the ball to all parts of the stadium, to cheer the crowd. Sai too made sure that Shahrukh got more of the strike as he was hitting the ball well.
Shahrukh reached his 50 off 24 balls (3 x 4, 5 x 6). And Sai took 34 balls to reach his fifty (5 x 4, 2 x 6).
Mohammed Siraj was then called in the 15th over and he bowled Shahrukh out. David Miller (26) joined Sai and he too looked a little unsettled at the wicket as the ball was coming slow on the bat. Sai hit some boundaries to pull back his side in the game. Miller in the last ball of the innings smashed a six to guide his side to the 200-run mark.
(With inputs from IANS)
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