It was an all-round show by the Gujarat Titans in last night’s match which they won by 37 runs.
Winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, Rajasthan Royals put the Titans in to bat first.
Matthew Wade and Shubman Gill remained for a very short time on the crease.
Vijay Shankar too couldn’t get going and Gujarat Titans were looking in a tight spot after his wicket.
Rajasthan were very much into the game in the first innings and had it all under control.
It was then Hardik Pandya and Abhinav Manohar who played fine knocks of 87* and 43.
David Miller then put the finishing touches to bring up the Titans’ score to 192/4.
In the second innings, Rajasthan Royals were once again in a commanding position as Jos Buttler was hitting boundaries at will.
Devdutt Paddikal was out the first ball and even Ravichandran Ashwin, promoted to no.3 couldn’t do much.
Only Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag and James Neesham put up a fight in the end.
Rajasthan completed with 155/9 in their 20 overs and thus suffered another defeat.
This win has taken the Gujarat Titans straight to the top of the table while Rajasthan Royals are at 3rd.
Player of the Match
Hardik Pandya for his 87* (52) and 1/18 in 2.3 overs.
Post Match Reactions
Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals skipper praised the Gujarat batsmen and said that they too had overcome the required run rate in the second innings but the constant loss of wickets was a big blow for them. Speaking on Boult, he said that the speedster will be back soon. Mentioned that he is aware that momentum matters a lot and that the league has become harder than before. Added that they give a lot of thought when forming the batting lineup. Ended by saying that he was supposed to bat at no.3 but decided to come down the order just to be flexible.
Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans skipper, said that it feels good to win matches when he is putting in all the hard work. Mentioned that he has just some slight cramps but is alright. Added that although he has not batted this long before, now he’s been feeling better from the last two matches and this allows other batsmen to play freely. Ended by saying that he likes to lead from the front and they are all playing and enjoying themselves as a group.
Next Match
Gujarat Titans will next play Chennai Super Kings on the 17th of April at MCA Stadium, Pune while Rajasthan Royals will be up against Kolkata Knight Riders on the 18th of April at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
