Well then, 218 is the magic number for RR to win this game. In case you don't know, 207 is the highest successful run chase at this venue, and the pitch is suitable for the batters, so it can be termed as doable. However, just like GT openers were tested against Archer's searing pace, RR's openers too, will be interrogated thoroughly by the in-form Mohammed Siraj. In such big chases, it is all about starting on a high. An exciting run chase is up next shortly. Stay tuned.
Sai Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans is up for a chat. He says there was some seam movement at the start, but then the wicket was very good to bat on. He says, Jofra bowled well at the start, but then they did consolidate by scoring some runs in middle and death overs. He says he and Buttler understood the wicket was good to bat on, and hence they both started to push a bit more to get a good total on the board. Feels they are 10-15 runs short the way they were batting, but there is no dew as
With the death overs approaching and enough wickets in the bank, GT batters had the license to go bang bang at the death. But a couple of quiet overs, helped RR to drag this back a bit with a couple of quick wickets as GT slipped from 156/2 to 163/4. Despite those fall of wickets, Sai Sudharsan looked in a league of his own and batted with absolute freedom. However, he couldnât bat till the end, but his marathon knock of 82 helped GT to get past the 200-run mark. And with those late cameos fr
Jofra Archer aside, Theekshana was the only bowler creating genuine opportunities. He finally broke through by removing Buttler just as the partnership was becoming dangerous for RR. Undeterred, Sai Sudharsan stepped up and took responsibility, while untested Shahrukh Khan too, started off positively. The positive thing for GT was, the incoming batters came out with intent, which kept the scoring rate hovering above and around 10 runs per over.
Jofra Archer challenged GT's openers with sharp pace and bounce. He quickly claimed Shubman Gill's wicket early in the innings. In response, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, mounted a strong counter-attack. Sudharsan took the aggressive role while Buttler provided steady support. The pair worked well together after the early setback. As a result, GT managed to get 56 in the first six overs.
As mentioned by the experts before the start of the game, this pitch is a safe haven for the batters, and we just witnessed that. Another occasion when the 200-run mark has been breached this season. Pitch number 7 is what we are talking about, where the average score itself is 209, so GT have done quite well to get past that as well. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, had their moments here and there, but barring Archer, all the rest of the bowlers were carted for runs.
With a solid platform established, the feared collapse was avoided as they focused on building through the middle overs. Buttler accelerated after the field restrictions eased, lifting the scoring rate confidently. Both batters played with composure, relying on proper cricket shots rather than risky plays to maintain their momentum. Sai Sudharsan notched yet another half-century on the way.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! A boundary to finish the innings! 16 runs off the final over. Sandeep does not do much wrong here. Gets a full ball in, attacking the stumps but Rahul gets down on a knee and brings out the sweep. Hits it along the ground to the left of deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Low full toss, on off, Rahul will feel that he missed out. He is early into the shot and it dribbles off the toe end towards mid off. Arshad Khan sets off for a single but Tewatia sends him back.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Another slower bouncer attempted by Sandeep but this goes over the batter's head.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Good comeback! A slower bumper, over off, Tewatia steps out and swings but for the pull but fails to connect.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Clubbed! Knuckleball from Sharma, on a length, outside off, Tewatia gets nice and low and nails the hit across the line over deep mid-wicket for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide!
Arshad Khan is in at number 8. Also, Rajasthan Royals have been penalised for not completing their 20 overs on time. Meaning, an extra fielder will have to be stationed inside the third-yard circle. So, only three fielders will be permitted to be in the deep. Here's Sandeep Sharma (3-0-25-1) to wrap up the first innings.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Changes his angle of attack as he comes from over the wicket. Bowls a slower one, on off, Rahul tries to steer this full ball behind square on the off side but misses.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Up and over! Not a great option with mid off inside the circle, a scrambled seam delivery, full in length, Tewatia gets under the ball and lifts it over mid off for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! TAKEN! Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls off a stunner! Tushar keeps the line near the tramline on off, on a short of a length and does not offer much pace, Rashid walks across his stumps and goes for the no-look pick-up shot. Lifts his front leg as he plays the shot but fails to get it wide enough of the man at square leg inside the circle.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Gets the yorker in, outside off, Rashid gets his bat down and glides it to the left of deep backward point for a couple of runs. GT breach the 200-run mark!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! Not convincing but Rashid will take it! Dug in short at pace by Tushar with fine leg inside the circle, Khan swings and attempts almost a tennis forehand shot. The ball takes the edge and flies over short fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! High and handsome! Tushar takes pace off and goes full this time, around off, Rashid puts the dancing shoes on and clobbers it over long on for a six.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! CAUGHT AND BEHIND! A sharp grab from Sanju Samson!
Rashid Khan is in to bat now.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Angling across, off-pace delivery, on a back of a length, Sai is beaten on the pull.
Tushar Deshpande to bowl the penultimate over. He is 3-0-39-0 so far.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Shubham Dubey puts it down and Jofra Archer isn't pleased one bit!
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Bashes the hard length, on middle and leg, Tewatia whips it off the hips to deep backward square leg for one.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Pace on, a sharp and quick bumper, around off, Tewatia sways away.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, In the air...but falls well short! Jofra takes pace off and goes into the wicket at the left shoulder of the batter, Sai swivels for the pull but gets a top edge that balloons and falls well ahead of Sandeep Sharma at deep fine leg. They cross.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Executes the yorker to perfection, at the base of the off stump, Rahul jams it out to backward point and crosses over.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Pushed down leg, on a length, Rahul has a swing at it but misses.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, ! That's what pace can do! Nowhere close to where Tewatia intended it to go! Archer goes searching for the yorker but it comes out as a low full toss, on off, Rahul looks to swat it away with the angle but gets a top edge that sails over deep third for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Drags the length back, on middle, Rahul slaps it down to long on for one. GT lost Sherfane Rutherford in the over but managed to score 13 runs off it. 31 off the last two overs for GT.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Serves the knuckleball, very full, on off, Sai Sudharsan is early into the heave across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it rolls behind on the leg side for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Up and over! Slightly fuller, on off, Sai waits back and opens up his front hip to go inside out. Launches it over extra cover for a one-bounce boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Slammed away! Angling away from the left-hander, on a short of a good length, Sai angles the bat face and flays it aerially towards deep point. Dhruv Jurel leaps but in vain as the ball sails over his him.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Off-pace delivery, on off, Rahul dabs it wide of backward point for a single.
Rahul Tewatia is in at number 6.
Sandeep Sharma to Sherfane Rutherford, ! EDGED AND GONE! Sherfane Rutherford can do some serious damage at this stage in the game and this is a massive wicket for the Royals. Pushed across the left-hander, on a good length, Sherfane reaches out to work it away on the off side with a horizontal bat. The outside edge is found and the keeper, Sanju Samson takes it with ease to his left.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, Flatter and shorter, on the pads, Sherfane Rutherford swings to go across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it lobs past Samson to his right for a single.
Will Theekshana finish the over well?
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, ! Sherfane Rutherford is up and running with a biggie! Right in the arc, a length ball, on off, Sherfane waits back and thumps it high over wide long on for a six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! st Sanju Samson b Maheesh Theekshana.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Two wides! Pushed very full but down leg, Sanju Samson does very well to fling himself to his right and get a hand to it. Parries it away for an extra.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Stumping chance missed! And there's a chance at the other end too but the throw does not hit. Flicked from the front of the hand, very full and down leg, Sai steps out and tries to flick but misses. The ball goes off Samson's gloves towards short fine leg and it is picked up by Sandeep Sharma there. Sandeep fires in a throw at the bowling end but misses as a run is sneaked in.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Too full, at 122.5 kph, on off, Sai Sudharsan carves it away to deep backward point for a single. An excellent over from Sandeep this.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Pace on, overpitched, outside off, Sai squeezes it out but hits it straight to backward point.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, A leg cutter, slower one, outside off, on a length, Shahrukh drags it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, driven away to deep cover for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Did Shahrukh Khan lift his back leg? A stumping appeal has been sent upstairs. Sanju Samson could not gather the ball and it deflected onto the stumps off his left pad. The replays show that when the stumps were broken, Khan had his back leg grounded. NOT !
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, An appeal for stumping from RR!
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! Placement! Too full and flat from Maheesh, outside off, Shahrukh Khan carves it out and slices it past backward point for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! In the gap! Floated fuller and outside off, Shahrukh Khan lunges forward to drive to the off side, but gets off the thickish outside edge. It bisects the two fielders at backward point and short third for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! BANG! TA HERE! Short and on the stumps, Khan rocks back and pulls it well over deep mid-wicket for a huge six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, Back of a length, drifting on pads, flicked away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
STRATEGIC BREAK!
Can Tushar Deshpande finish well?
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Another wide yorker, Shahrukh Khan this time takes a step outside off, and drives it to deep extra cover fielder for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Wide yorker just outside the tramline, Shahrukh Khan looked to steer it, but couldn't get any bat on it. Wide given.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, ! WOW! THAT IS SOME SHOT! Full-length delivery on off, Shahrukh Khan lofts this one over covers for a big six.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan charges down the track but Tushar Deshpande spots it and bowls a bouncer that goes way over the batter's head. Wide given.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Yorker on leg stump, Sai looks to flick it and somehow gets some bat on it, the ball goes into the leg side. Single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery seaming away in the channel outside off, Sai comes charging down to play over covers, but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, A slower one by the looks of it, at 119.7 kph, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan leans on it and drives through cover for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Short and deviating away from outside off, Khan hops and looks for the ramp, but gets a thick outside edge to deep third for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Another one pitched halfway, short and on middle, Shahrukh Khan again misses to connect the pull shot.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Into the surface, short, slow at 119.3 kph, on top of off, Shahrukh is months early to pull and misses to connect.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, ! Oh, that's played with some ease! Angling onto the pads, full in length, Shahrukh Khan flicks it past the diving short fine leg fielder to his left for a boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, INSIDE EDGE, ! Hard length, just outside off, Shahrukh Khan shapes up to pull it away, but inside edges. The ball bounces past the stumps and runs away to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slower short ball, well outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls it along the ground to the right of the deep mid-wicket fielder. Two runs taken.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of length delivery around off, Sai Sudharsan crouches a bit and looks to play the upper cut, but can't connect as the ball zips through to the wicket-keeper.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Quicker bouncer aimed at the body, Shahrukh Khan goes for the pull but can't get any bat on it. Samson, the wicket-keeper, jumps to his left and gets a hand to it and deflects it towards deep fine leg. Batters run a bye.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Speared in fuller and on off, Shahrukh Khan closes the bat face a bit early to flick, and gets the leading edge. The ball lobs over the cover-point region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Had the throw hit, Sai was gone! Archer starts with a yorker on off, Sai drives it straight to mid off and sets off for a quick single, Sandeep at mid off is quick to gather the ball and he throws it at the bowling, but misses the direct-hit.Â
Shahrukh Khan is in at number 4. Also, Jofra Archer (2-0-14-1) replaces Tushar Deshpande.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! LBW! Excellent review from the Royals and Maheesh Theekshana has broken through for them. Pushed through by Theekshana, on middle, on the shorter side, Jos has a swipe across the line but the ball skids through to go under the blade and hit him on the back thigh. Sanju Samson has a word with the bowler and takes the review. The UltraEdge shows no bat and the Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball hitting the leg stump. Theekshana is pumped as
Is that out? An appeal for LBW but the umpire denies. It is sent upstairs for a review by RR. UltraEdge shows a flat line with a clear gap between bat and ball. Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. !
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Fires a yorker in, on middle, Jos digs it out back to the bowler.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, ! Picks the gap nicely! Around off, on a nagging length, Sai Sudharsan plants his front foot ahead and smears it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Slows it down and at the stumps, Sai presses forward to block it out.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, 1 run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Nails the yorker, on off, Sai tries to squeeze it out but misses as the ball sneaks under the bat.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Hurls it full, on middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On top of off, on a good length, Sai clips it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Spots the batter back away and tries to bang it in but this goes beyond the wide tramline on off.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Pace taken off and bowled from wide of the crease, on a good length, on middle, Buttler turns it through backward square leg for another single.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Sliding into the pads, on a nagging length, Jos flicks it to the right of long on and comes back for the second run.
STRATEGIC BREAK! Despite losing Shubman Gill pretty early into the innings, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have neutralized any threats of a collapse and have batted with positive intent. They have smashed 50 runs in the last four overs. With a solid foundation already set for the middle overs, these two will look to bat with the same intensity. Of course, the track looks like a haven to bat on, and apart from Jofra Archer, RR's bowlers have lacked consistency in their lines and lengths. They
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a back of a length, angling away, Sai jabs it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! Smashed!
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Pushed through, on off, on a nagging length, Jos gets on top of it and punches it to the right of deep cover for a brace.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! POWER! This is a touch fuller on off, Buttler punches it through covers, as the ball races away off the turf for four.Â
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Flat and short, on off, Jos punches it wide of cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a length, Sai makes room and punches it past cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Slanting down leg, on the shorter side, Sai Sudharsan swings to help it away but misses.
Change.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, ! Innovative! Pace off delivery fuller, on off stump line, Buttler moves across and plays the scoop behind the wicket. That is played very fine of the short fine leg fielder to his right.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Drags the length back and pushes it across the right-hander, Jos backs away and swings for the pull but the ball sneaks under the bat.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a nagging length, tucked to deep square leg for the third single in a row.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Going across, on a length, on the off stump, Jos pushes it in front of mid off for a quick single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-0-17-0) is back on. He repalces Tushar Deshpande.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Bashes the hard length from over the wicket and tucks the batter up for room, Sai mistimes the pull to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Hurls it right up there, on middle and leg, knocked along the ground to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Slanting into the pads, another slower one, on a length, Sudharsan clips it to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Goes very full, on middle, Jos premeditates the charge and ends up yorking himself. Jams it out to long on for one more.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket and it is the knuckleball, at 106.5 kph, on a good length, at the stumps, Sai waits back and punches it to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Spots the batter backing away and follows him, on a back of a length, Buttler nudges it to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Wide! A well-directed bumper but a bit too high, over middle, Jos swivels for the pull but misses. 50 comes up for the Gujarat Titans!
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, On off, on a good length, Jos Buttler wrists it from the crease straight to mid-wicket.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! He is just dealing in boundaries at the moment! Almost a half-tracker from Deshpande, across off, Sai Sudharsan hangs on the back foot and cuts it square, perfectly between cover and point for a boundary. An expensive start for Tushar Deshpande as he concedes 18 off his first over. 28 in the last two overs for GT.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, A bit of a shape away from off, full in length, Jos Buttler with a front foot push to the mid off region. A single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a nagging length, on off, Sai Sudharsan knocks it into the cover region for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! What a shot that is! Not too full, around off, Sai Sudharsan leans onto the ball and with a straight bat face, drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Down leg, length. Left. Wide called.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! Now that is a fine shot!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Oh, this one nips back in sharply, on a good length, on top of middle. Sai Sudharsan is a bit surprised with that excessive bounce, but manages to bunt it onto the surface.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Tushar Deshpande is into the attack and starts off with a loosener! Good length, just down leg going straight on. Sai Sudharsan misses to nudge it across. Wide called.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Across off, on a good length, at 132.6 kph, Jos Buttler expands his arms and drives it straight to mid off.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Swinging a bit away from off, full in length, Sai Sudharsan presses forward and knocks it to the off side, in front of covers. A single taken.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Clever, very clever! Seeing Sudharsan making an initial walk forward, Fazalhaq Farooqi bangs short and outside off, Sai Sudharsan adjusts well to it and ramps it over deep third for a 60-meter six.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, A low full toss, angling back in from middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Angling across off, on a good length, Jos Buttler expects it to come back in, but it pitches and nibbles away. He throws his bat away from the body, and misses to connect.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Length-delivery, angling on top of off, now at 147.2 kph, Sai Sudharsan hops and taps it across into the leg side.Â
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, at 144.9 kph, on middle, Buttler tucks off the inside half of the bat. The ball rolls into the leg side, near mid-wicket and they cross for a single.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, ! Good response from Buttler this time around! Angling in, outside off, full, Jos Buttler caresses it through the gap between cover and point for a cracking boundary.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, skidding through on the stumps, Jos Buttler with a tentative push, gets an inside edge onto the front thigh pad. The ball ricochets and rolls past the square leg region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Man, oh man! This is some serious gas from Archer! Dug into the surface, a steep bumper, on the bodyline. Jos Buttler can only duck under it. Welcome mate, says Archer to his countryman.
Jos Buttler comes in at number 3.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, ! BOWLED'EM! A snorter of a delivery and Jofra enjoys it to the bits.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, JAFFA! Some lateral movement there for Farooqi, on a good length, deviating away off the pitch. Sai Sudharsan tries to push into the off side, but is beaten all ends up on the outside edge.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Touch full and angling into the batter from off. Sai Sudharsan presses forward and pushes it past the point region and scampers back for the second.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Top shot! On the back of a length, shaping away from the left-hander, outside off, Sai Sudharsan waits for it, weighs on the back foot and cuts it to the left of backward point for a cracking boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, An inswinger, full and angling in on off, Sai Sudharsan watchfully pushes it to mid on.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller one, on middle, Sai flicks it to mid-wicket.
Fazalhaq Farooqi will steam in from the other end.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shubman Gill, Back of a length, angling on middle, from leg, Shubman Gill defends and gets an inside edge on the pads. The ball rolls near the strip in the off side and the batters take a single.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Some serious pace this from Archer. An appeal for LBW, but dies down soon after as the umpire denies. The skipper Samson is still enquiring about it, but turns away eventually. Pitching somewhere outside leg, on a fullish length, angling in, Sai Sudharsan misses to flick and wears on the pads.Â
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Nipping back into the batter, on a good length, on off, Shubman Gill tucks it across off the back foot and runs a quick single. The GT skipper is also off the mark.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, WIDE! Pace on, short but down leg. Shubman Gill opts out of the pull shot and lets it pass.Â
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a hard length, around off, Sai Sudharsan hops on the back foot and taps it into the off side, near the strip and sets off for a quick single. Gujarat Titans and Sai Sudharsan are off the mark!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, BEATEN! On the money is Jofra Archer! He starts off with a couple of slips in position, and lands it on a good length, shaping away from the off stump line. Sai Sudharsan tries to ride the bounce and block, but plays inside the line and the ball beats his outside edge. Good carry behind to the keeper.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.
We are all set to get going. Sanju Samson and his men are in a huddle near the ropes before taking their respective positions on the field. It will be the left-hand right-hand combination of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill to open the innings for the Gujarat Titans. Jofra Archer will kickstart the proceedings with the new ball for the Royals. Archer to Sai with two slips in place. Here we go!
Impact players nominated by the Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.
Impact players nominated by the Gujarat Titans - Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror and Nishant Sindhu.
The skipper of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, expects a bit of dew coming in the latter stages, so bowling is a good option. Talks about how each and every game in the IPL is important, and feels grateful to win the last two games. As a captain, he feels great to be back to lead the side. Says they retained six players before the auction, but still, it is a very new team and there are a few new faces in the squad as well. Mentions that it took a bit of time to gel together. About the wick
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI) - Shubman Gill(C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma.
The skipper of the Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill says that they would have bowled first as well. Adds that there has been dew in the past few games.
TOSS - Sanju Samson calls it correctly and the Rajasthan Royals have opted to BOWL first.
... THE RUN CHASE ...
Well then, 218 is the magic number for RR to win this game. In case you don't know, 207 is the highest successful run chase at this venue, and the pitch is suitable for the batters, so it can be termed as doable. However, just like GT openers were tested against Archer's searing pace, RR's openers too, will be interrogated thoroughly by the in-form Mohammed Siraj. In such big chases, it is all about starting on a high. An exciting run chase is up next shortly. Stay tuned.
Sai Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans is up for a chat. He says there was some seam movement at the start, but then the wicket was very good to bat on. He says, Jofra bowled well at the start, but then they did consolidate by scoring some runs in middle and death overs. He says he and Buttler understood the wicket was good to bat on, and hence they both started to push a bit more to get a good total on the board. Feels they are 10-15 runs short the way they were batting, but there is no dew as
With the death overs approaching and enough wickets in the bank, GT batters had the license to go bang bang at the death. But a couple of quiet overs, helped RR to drag this back a bit with a couple of quick wickets as GT slipped from 156/2 to 163/4. Despite those fall of wickets, Sai Sudharsan looked in a league of his own and batted with absolute freedom. However, he couldnât bat till the end, but his marathon knock of 82 helped GT to get past the 200-run mark. And with those late cameos fr
Jofra Archer aside, Theekshana was the only bowler creating genuine opportunities. He finally broke through by removing Buttler just as the partnership was becoming dangerous for RR. Undeterred, Sai Sudharsan stepped up and took responsibility, while untested Shahrukh Khan too, started off positively. The positive thing for GT was, the incoming batters came out with intent, which kept the scoring rate hovering above and around 10 runs per over.
Jofra Archer challenged GT's openers with sharp pace and bounce. He quickly claimed Shubman Gill's wicket early in the innings. In response, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, mounted a strong counter-attack. Sudharsan took the aggressive role while Buttler provided steady support. The pair worked well together after the early setback. As a result, GT managed to get 56 in the first six overs.
As mentioned by the experts before the start of the game, this pitch is a safe haven for the batters, and we just witnessed that. Another occasion when the 200-run mark has been breached this season. Pitch number 7 is what we are talking about, where the average score itself is 209, so GT have done quite well to get past that as well. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, had their moments here and there, but barring Archer, all the rest of the bowlers were carted for runs.
With a solid platform established, the feared collapse was avoided as they focused on building through the middle overs. Buttler accelerated after the field restrictions eased, lifting the scoring rate confidently. Both batters played with composure, relying on proper cricket shots rather than risky plays to maintain their momentum. Sai Sudharsan notched yet another half-century on the way.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! A boundary to finish the innings! 16 runs off the final over. Sandeep does not do much wrong here. Gets a full ball in, attacking the stumps but Rahul gets down on a knee and brings out the sweep. Hits it along the ground to the left of deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Low full toss, on off, Rahul will feel that he missed out. He is early into the shot and it dribbles off the toe end towards mid off. Arshad Khan sets off for a single but Tewatia sends him back.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Another slower bouncer attempted by Sandeep but this goes over the batter's head.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Good comeback! A slower bumper, over off, Tewatia steps out and swings but for the pull but fails to connect.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Clubbed! Knuckleball from Sharma, on a length, outside off, Tewatia gets nice and low and nails the hit across the line over deep mid-wicket for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide!
Arshad Khan is in at number 8. Also, Rajasthan Royals have been penalised for not completing their 20 overs on time. Meaning, an extra fielder will have to be stationed inside the third-yard circle. So, only three fielders will be permitted to be in the deep. Here's Sandeep Sharma (3-0-25-1) to wrap up the first innings.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Changes his angle of attack as he comes from over the wicket. Bowls a slower one, on off, Rahul tries to steer this full ball behind square on the off side but misses.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Up and over! Not a great option with mid off inside the circle, a scrambled seam delivery, full in length, Tewatia gets under the ball and lifts it over mid off for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! TAKEN! Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls off a stunner! Tushar keeps the line near the tramline on off, on a short of a length and does not offer much pace, Rashid walks across his stumps and goes for the no-look pick-up shot. Lifts his front leg as he plays the shot but fails to get it wide enough of the man at square leg inside the circle.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Gets the yorker in, outside off, Rashid gets his bat down and glides it to the left of deep backward point for a couple of runs. GT breach the 200-run mark!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! Not convincing but Rashid will take it! Dug in short at pace by Tushar with fine leg inside the circle, Khan swings and attempts almost a tennis forehand shot. The ball takes the edge and flies over short fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! High and handsome! Tushar takes pace off and goes full this time, around off, Rashid puts the dancing shoes on and clobbers it over long on for a six.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! CAUGHT AND BEHIND! A sharp grab from Sanju Samson!
Rashid Khan is in to bat now.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Angling across, off-pace delivery, on a back of a length, Sai is beaten on the pull.
Tushar Deshpande to bowl the penultimate over. He is 3-0-39-0 so far.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Shubham Dubey puts it down and Jofra Archer isn't pleased one bit!
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Bashes the hard length, on middle and leg, Tewatia whips it off the hips to deep backward square leg for one.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Pace on, a sharp and quick bumper, around off, Tewatia sways away.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, In the air...but falls well short! Jofra takes pace off and goes into the wicket at the left shoulder of the batter, Sai swivels for the pull but gets a top edge that balloons and falls well ahead of Sandeep Sharma at deep fine leg. They cross.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Executes the yorker to perfection, at the base of the off stump, Rahul jams it out to backward point and crosses over.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Pushed down leg, on a length, Rahul has a swing at it but misses.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, ! That's what pace can do! Nowhere close to where Tewatia intended it to go! Archer goes searching for the yorker but it comes out as a low full toss, on off, Rahul looks to swat it away with the angle but gets a top edge that sails over deep third for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Drags the length back, on middle, Rahul slaps it down to long on for one. GT lost Sherfane Rutherford in the over but managed to score 13 runs off it. 31 off the last two overs for GT.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Serves the knuckleball, very full, on off, Sai Sudharsan is early into the heave across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it rolls behind on the leg side for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Up and over! Slightly fuller, on off, Sai waits back and opens up his front hip to go inside out. Launches it over extra cover for a one-bounce boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Slammed away! Angling away from the left-hander, on a short of a good length, Sai angles the bat face and flays it aerially towards deep point. Dhruv Jurel leaps but in vain as the ball sails over his him.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Off-pace delivery, on off, Rahul dabs it wide of backward point for a single.
Rahul Tewatia is in at number 6.
Sandeep Sharma to Sherfane Rutherford, ! EDGED AND GONE! Sherfane Rutherford can do some serious damage at this stage in the game and this is a massive wicket for the Royals. Pushed across the left-hander, on a good length, Sherfane reaches out to work it away on the off side with a horizontal bat. The outside edge is found and the keeper, Sanju Samson takes it with ease to his left.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, Flatter and shorter, on the pads, Sherfane Rutherford swings to go across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it lobs past Samson to his right for a single.
Will Theekshana finish the over well?
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, ! Sherfane Rutherford is up and running with a biggie! Right in the arc, a length ball, on off, Sherfane waits back and thumps it high over wide long on for a six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! st Sanju Samson b Maheesh Theekshana.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Two wides! Pushed very full but down leg, Sanju Samson does very well to fling himself to his right and get a hand to it. Parries it away for an extra.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Stumping chance missed! And there's a chance at the other end too but the throw does not hit. Flicked from the front of the hand, very full and down leg, Sai steps out and tries to flick but misses. The ball goes off Samson's gloves towards short fine leg and it is picked up by Sandeep Sharma there. Sandeep fires in a throw at the bowling end but misses as a run is sneaked in.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Too full, at 122.5 kph, on off, Sai Sudharsan carves it away to deep backward point for a single. An excellent over from Sandeep this.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Pace on, overpitched, outside off, Sai squeezes it out but hits it straight to backward point.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, A leg cutter, slower one, outside off, on a length, Shahrukh drags it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, driven away to deep cover for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Did Shahrukh Khan lift his back leg? A stumping appeal has been sent upstairs. Sanju Samson could not gather the ball and it deflected onto the stumps off his left pad. The replays show that when the stumps were broken, Khan had his back leg grounded. NOT !
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, An appeal for stumping from RR!
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! Placement! Too full and flat from Maheesh, outside off, Shahrukh Khan carves it out and slices it past backward point for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! In the gap! Floated fuller and outside off, Shahrukh Khan lunges forward to drive to the off side, but gets off the thickish outside edge. It bisects the two fielders at backward point and short third for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! BANG! TA HERE! Short and on the stumps, Khan rocks back and pulls it well over deep mid-wicket for a huge six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, Back of a length, drifting on pads, flicked away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
STRATEGIC BREAK!
Can Tushar Deshpande finish well?
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Another wide yorker, Shahrukh Khan this time takes a step outside off, and drives it to deep extra cover fielder for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Wide yorker just outside the tramline, Shahrukh Khan looked to steer it, but couldn't get any bat on it. Wide given.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, ! WOW! THAT IS SOME SHOT! Full-length delivery on off, Shahrukh Khan lofts this one over covers for a big six.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan charges down the track but Tushar Deshpande spots it and bowls a bouncer that goes way over the batter's head. Wide given.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Yorker on leg stump, Sai looks to flick it and somehow gets some bat on it, the ball goes into the leg side. Single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery seaming away in the channel outside off, Sai comes charging down to play over covers, but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, A slower one by the looks of it, at 119.7 kph, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan leans on it and drives through cover for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Short and deviating away from outside off, Khan hops and looks for the ramp, but gets a thick outside edge to deep third for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Another one pitched halfway, short and on middle, Shahrukh Khan again misses to connect the pull shot.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Into the surface, short, slow at 119.3 kph, on top of off, Shahrukh is months early to pull and misses to connect.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, ! Oh, that's played with some ease! Angling onto the pads, full in length, Shahrukh Khan flicks it past the diving short fine leg fielder to his left for a boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, INSIDE EDGE, ! Hard length, just outside off, Shahrukh Khan shapes up to pull it away, but inside edges. The ball bounces past the stumps and runs away to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slower short ball, well outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls it along the ground to the right of the deep mid-wicket fielder. Two runs taken.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of length delivery around off, Sai Sudharsan crouches a bit and looks to play the upper cut, but can't connect as the ball zips through to the wicket-keeper.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Quicker bouncer aimed at the body, Shahrukh Khan goes for the pull but can't get any bat on it. Samson, the wicket-keeper, jumps to his left and gets a hand to it and deflects it towards deep fine leg. Batters run a bye.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Speared in fuller and on off, Shahrukh Khan closes the bat face a bit early to flick, and gets the leading edge. The ball lobs over the cover-point region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Had the throw hit, Sai was gone! Archer starts with a yorker on off, Sai drives it straight to mid off and sets off for a quick single, Sandeep at mid off is quick to gather the ball and he throws it at the bowling, but misses the direct-hit.Â
Shahrukh Khan is in at number 4. Also, Jofra Archer (2-0-14-1) replaces Tushar Deshpande.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! LBW! Excellent review from the Royals and Maheesh Theekshana has broken through for them. Pushed through by Theekshana, on middle, on the shorter side, Jos has a swipe across the line but the ball skids through to go under the blade and hit him on the back thigh. Sanju Samson has a word with the bowler and takes the review. The UltraEdge shows no bat and the Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball hitting the leg stump. Theekshana is pumped as
Is that out? An appeal for LBW but the umpire denies. It is sent upstairs for a review by RR. UltraEdge shows a flat line with a clear gap between bat and ball. Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. !
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Fires a yorker in, on middle, Jos digs it out back to the bowler.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, ! Picks the gap nicely! Around off, on a nagging length, Sai Sudharsan plants his front foot ahead and smears it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Slows it down and at the stumps, Sai presses forward to block it out.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, 1 run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Nails the yorker, on off, Sai tries to squeeze it out but misses as the ball sneaks under the bat.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Hurls it full, on middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On top of off, on a good length, Sai clips it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Spots the batter back away and tries to bang it in but this goes beyond the wide tramline on off.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Pace taken off and bowled from wide of the crease, on a good length, on middle, Buttler turns it through backward square leg for another single.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Sliding into the pads, on a nagging length, Jos flicks it to the right of long on and comes back for the second run.
STRATEGIC BREAK! Despite losing Shubman Gill pretty early into the innings, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have neutralized any threats of a collapse and have batted with positive intent. They have smashed 50 runs in the last four overs. With a solid foundation already set for the middle overs, these two will look to bat with the same intensity. Of course, the track looks like a haven to bat on, and apart from Jofra Archer, RR's bowlers have lacked consistency in their lines and lengths. They
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a back of a length, angling away, Sai jabs it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! Smashed!
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Pushed through, on off, on a nagging length, Jos gets on top of it and punches it to the right of deep cover for a brace.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! POWER! This is a touch fuller on off, Buttler punches it through covers, as the ball races away off the turf for four.Â
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Flat and short, on off, Jos punches it wide of cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a length, Sai makes room and punches it past cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Slanting down leg, on the shorter side, Sai Sudharsan swings to help it away but misses.
Change.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, ! Innovative! Pace off delivery fuller, on off stump line, Buttler moves across and plays the scoop behind the wicket. That is played very fine of the short fine leg fielder to his right.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Drags the length back and pushes it across the right-hander, Jos backs away and swings for the pull but the ball sneaks under the bat.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a nagging length, tucked to deep square leg for the third single in a row.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Going across, on a length, on the off stump, Jos pushes it in front of mid off for a quick single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-0-17-0) is back on. He repalces Tushar Deshpande.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Bashes the hard length from over the wicket and tucks the batter up for room, Sai mistimes the pull to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Hurls it right up there, on middle and leg, knocked along the ground to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Slanting into the pads, another slower one, on a length, Sudharsan clips it to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Goes very full, on middle, Jos premeditates the charge and ends up yorking himself. Jams it out to long on for one more.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket and it is the knuckleball, at 106.5 kph, on a good length, at the stumps, Sai waits back and punches it to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Spots the batter backing away and follows him, on a back of a length, Buttler nudges it to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Wide! A well-directed bumper but a bit too high, over middle, Jos swivels for the pull but misses. 50 comes up for the Gujarat Titans!
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, On off, on a good length, Jos Buttler wrists it from the crease straight to mid-wicket.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! He is just dealing in boundaries at the moment! Almost a half-tracker from Deshpande, across off, Sai Sudharsan hangs on the back foot and cuts it square, perfectly between cover and point for a boundary. An expensive start for Tushar Deshpande as he concedes 18 off his first over. 28 in the last two overs for GT.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, A bit of a shape away from off, full in length, Jos Buttler with a front foot push to the mid off region. A single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a nagging length, on off, Sai Sudharsan knocks it into the cover region for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! What a shot that is! Not too full, around off, Sai Sudharsan leans onto the ball and with a straight bat face, drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Down leg, length. Left. Wide called.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! Now that is a fine shot!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Oh, this one nips back in sharply, on a good length, on top of middle. Sai Sudharsan is a bit surprised with that excessive bounce, but manages to bunt it onto the surface.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Tushar Deshpande is into the attack and starts off with a loosener! Good length, just down leg going straight on. Sai Sudharsan misses to nudge it across. Wide called.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Across off, on a good length, at 132.6 kph, Jos Buttler expands his arms and drives it straight to mid off.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Swinging a bit away from off, full in length, Sai Sudharsan presses forward and knocks it to the off side, in front of covers. A single taken.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Clever, very clever! Seeing Sudharsan making an initial walk forward, Fazalhaq Farooqi bangs short and outside off, Sai Sudharsan adjusts well to it and ramps it over deep third for a 60-meter six.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, A low full toss, angling back in from middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Angling across off, on a good length, Jos Buttler expects it to come back in, but it pitches and nibbles away. He throws his bat away from the body, and misses to connect.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Length-delivery, angling on top of off, now at 147.2 kph, Sai Sudharsan hops and taps it across into the leg side.Â
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, at 144.9 kph, on middle, Buttler tucks off the inside half of the bat. The ball rolls into the leg side, near mid-wicket and they cross for a single.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, ! Good response from Buttler this time around! Angling in, outside off, full, Jos Buttler caresses it through the gap between cover and point for a cracking boundary.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, skidding through on the stumps, Jos Buttler with a tentative push, gets an inside edge onto the front thigh pad. The ball ricochets and rolls past the square leg region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Man, oh man! This is some serious gas from Archer! Dug into the surface, a steep bumper, on the bodyline. Jos Buttler can only duck under it. Welcome mate, says Archer to his countryman.
Jos Buttler comes in at number 3.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, ! BOWLED'EM! A snorter of a delivery and Jofra enjoys it to the bits.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, JAFFA! Some lateral movement there for Farooqi, on a good length, deviating away off the pitch. Sai Sudharsan tries to push into the off side, but is beaten all ends up on the outside edge.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Touch full and angling into the batter from off. Sai Sudharsan presses forward and pushes it past the point region and scampers back for the second.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Top shot! On the back of a length, shaping away from the left-hander, outside off, Sai Sudharsan waits for it, weighs on the back foot and cuts it to the left of backward point for a cracking boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, An inswinger, full and angling in on off, Sai Sudharsan watchfully pushes it to mid on.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller one, on middle, Sai flicks it to mid-wicket.
Fazalhaq Farooqi will steam in from the other end.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shubman Gill, Back of a length, angling on middle, from leg, Shubman Gill defends and gets an inside edge on the pads. The ball rolls near the strip in the off side and the batters take a single.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Some serious pace this from Archer. An appeal for LBW, but dies down soon after as the umpire denies. The skipper Samson is still enquiring about it, but turns away eventually. Pitching somewhere outside leg, on a fullish length, angling in, Sai Sudharsan misses to flick and wears on the pads.Â
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Nipping back into the batter, on a good length, on off, Shubman Gill tucks it across off the back foot and runs a quick single. The GT skipper is also off the mark.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, WIDE! Pace on, short but down leg. Shubman Gill opts out of the pull shot and lets it pass.Â
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a hard length, around off, Sai Sudharsan hops on the back foot and taps it into the off side, near the strip and sets off for a quick single. Gujarat Titans and Sai Sudharsan are off the mark!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, BEATEN! On the money is Jofra Archer! He starts off with a couple of slips in position, and lands it on a good length, shaping away from the off stump line. Sai Sudharsan tries to ride the bounce and block, but plays inside the line and the ball beats his outside edge. Good carry behind to the keeper.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.
We are all set to get going. Sanju Samson and his men are in a huddle near the ropes before taking their respective positions on the field. It will be the left-hand right-hand combination of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill to open the innings for the Gujarat Titans. Jofra Archer will kickstart the proceedings with the new ball for the Royals. Archer to Sai with two slips in place. Here we go!
Impact players nominated by the Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.
Impact players nominated by the Gujarat Titans - Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror and Nishant Sindhu.
The skipper of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, expects a bit of dew coming in the latter stages, so bowling is a good option. Talks about how each and every game in the IPL is important, and feels grateful to win the last two games. As a captain, he feels great to be back to lead the side. Says they retained six players before the auction, but still, it is a very new team and there are a few new faces in the squad as well. Mentions that it took a bit of time to gel together. About the wick
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI) - Shubman Gill(C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma.
The skipper of the Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill says that they would have bowled first as well. Adds that there has been dew in the past few games.
TOSS - Sanju Samson calls it correctly and the Rajasthan Royals have opted to BOWL first.
Newsletter
Rajasthan Royals
159/10(19.2 Overs)
... THE RUN CHASE ...
Well then, 218 is the magic number for RR to win this game. In case you don't know, 207 is the highest successful run chase at this venue, and the pitch is suitable for the batters, so it can be termed as doable. However, just like GT openers were tested against Archer's searing pace, RR's openers too, will be interrogated thoroughly by the in-form Mohammed Siraj. In such big chases, it is all about starting on a high. An exciting run chase is up next shortly. Stay tuned.
Sai Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans is up for a chat. He says there was some seam movement at the start, but then the wicket was very good to bat on. He says, Jofra bowled well at the start, but then they did consolidate by scoring some runs in middle and death overs. He says he and Buttler understood the wicket was good to bat on, and hence they both started to push a bit more to get a good total on the board. Feels they are 10-15 runs short the way they were batting, but there is no dew as
With the death overs approaching and enough wickets in the bank, GT batters had the license to go bang bang at the death. But a couple of quiet overs, helped RR to drag this back a bit with a couple of quick wickets as GT slipped from 156/2 to 163/4. Despite those fall of wickets, Sai Sudharsan looked in a league of his own and batted with absolute freedom. However, he couldnât bat till the end, but his marathon knock of 82 helped GT to get past the 200-run mark. And with those late cameos fr
Jofra Archer aside, Theekshana was the only bowler creating genuine opportunities. He finally broke through by removing Buttler just as the partnership was becoming dangerous for RR. Undeterred, Sai Sudharsan stepped up and took responsibility, while untested Shahrukh Khan too, started off positively. The positive thing for GT was, the incoming batters came out with intent, which kept the scoring rate hovering above and around 10 runs per over.
Jofra Archer challenged GT's openers with sharp pace and bounce. He quickly claimed Shubman Gill's wicket early in the innings. In response, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, mounted a strong counter-attack. Sudharsan took the aggressive role while Buttler provided steady support. The pair worked well together after the early setback. As a result, GT managed to get 56 in the first six overs.
As mentioned by the experts before the start of the game, this pitch is a safe haven for the batters, and we just witnessed that. Another occasion when the 200-run mark has been breached this season. Pitch number 7 is what we are talking about, where the average score itself is 209, so GT have done quite well to get past that as well. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, had their moments here and there, but barring Archer, all the rest of the bowlers were carted for runs.
With a solid platform established, the feared collapse was avoided as they focused on building through the middle overs. Buttler accelerated after the field restrictions eased, lifting the scoring rate confidently. Both batters played with composure, relying on proper cricket shots rather than risky plays to maintain their momentum. Sai Sudharsan notched yet another half-century on the way.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! A boundary to finish the innings! 16 runs off the final over. Sandeep does not do much wrong here. Gets a full ball in, attacking the stumps but Rahul gets down on a knee and brings out the sweep. Hits it along the ground to the left of deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Low full toss, on off, Rahul will feel that he missed out. He is early into the shot and it dribbles off the toe end towards mid off. Arshad Khan sets off for a single but Tewatia sends him back.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Another slower bouncer attempted by Sandeep but this goes over the batter's head.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Good comeback! A slower bumper, over off, Tewatia steps out and swings but for the pull but fails to connect.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Clubbed! Knuckleball from Sharma, on a length, outside off, Tewatia gets nice and low and nails the hit across the line over deep mid-wicket for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide!
Arshad Khan is in at number 8. Also, Rajasthan Royals have been penalised for not completing their 20 overs on time. Meaning, an extra fielder will have to be stationed inside the third-yard circle. So, only three fielders will be permitted to be in the deep. Here's Sandeep Sharma (3-0-25-1) to wrap up the first innings.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Changes his angle of attack as he comes from over the wicket. Bowls a slower one, on off, Rahul tries to steer this full ball behind square on the off side but misses.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Up and over! Not a great option with mid off inside the circle, a scrambled seam delivery, full in length, Tewatia gets under the ball and lifts it over mid off for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! TAKEN! Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls off a stunner! Tushar keeps the line near the tramline on off, on a short of a length and does not offer much pace, Rashid walks across his stumps and goes for the no-look pick-up shot. Lifts his front leg as he plays the shot but fails to get it wide enough of the man at square leg inside the circle.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Gets the yorker in, outside off, Rashid gets his bat down and glides it to the left of deep backward point for a couple of runs. GT breach the 200-run mark!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! Not convincing but Rashid will take it! Dug in short at pace by Tushar with fine leg inside the circle, Khan swings and attempts almost a tennis forehand shot. The ball takes the edge and flies over short fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! High and handsome! Tushar takes pace off and goes full this time, around off, Rashid puts the dancing shoes on and clobbers it over long on for a six.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! CAUGHT AND BEHIND! A sharp grab from Sanju Samson!
Rashid Khan is in to bat now.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Angling across, off-pace delivery, on a back of a length, Sai is beaten on the pull.
Tushar Deshpande to bowl the penultimate over. He is 3-0-39-0 so far.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Shubham Dubey puts it down and Jofra Archer isn't pleased one bit!
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Bashes the hard length, on middle and leg, Tewatia whips it off the hips to deep backward square leg for one.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Pace on, a sharp and quick bumper, around off, Tewatia sways away.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, In the air...but falls well short! Jofra takes pace off and goes into the wicket at the left shoulder of the batter, Sai swivels for the pull but gets a top edge that balloons and falls well ahead of Sandeep Sharma at deep fine leg. They cross.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Executes the yorker to perfection, at the base of the off stump, Rahul jams it out to backward point and crosses over.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Pushed down leg, on a length, Rahul has a swing at it but misses.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, ! That's what pace can do! Nowhere close to where Tewatia intended it to go! Archer goes searching for the yorker but it comes out as a low full toss, on off, Rahul looks to swat it away with the angle but gets a top edge that sails over deep third for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Drags the length back, on middle, Rahul slaps it down to long on for one. GT lost Sherfane Rutherford in the over but managed to score 13 runs off it. 31 off the last two overs for GT.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Serves the knuckleball, very full, on off, Sai Sudharsan is early into the heave across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it rolls behind on the leg side for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Up and over! Slightly fuller, on off, Sai waits back and opens up his front hip to go inside out. Launches it over extra cover for a one-bounce boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Slammed away! Angling away from the left-hander, on a short of a good length, Sai angles the bat face and flays it aerially towards deep point. Dhruv Jurel leaps but in vain as the ball sails over his him.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Off-pace delivery, on off, Rahul dabs it wide of backward point for a single.
Rahul Tewatia is in at number 6.
Sandeep Sharma to Sherfane Rutherford, ! EDGED AND GONE! Sherfane Rutherford can do some serious damage at this stage in the game and this is a massive wicket for the Royals. Pushed across the left-hander, on a good length, Sherfane reaches out to work it away on the off side with a horizontal bat. The outside edge is found and the keeper, Sanju Samson takes it with ease to his left.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, Flatter and shorter, on the pads, Sherfane Rutherford swings to go across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it lobs past Samson to his right for a single.
Will Theekshana finish the over well?
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, ! Sherfane Rutherford is up and running with a biggie! Right in the arc, a length ball, on off, Sherfane waits back and thumps it high over wide long on for a six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! st Sanju Samson b Maheesh Theekshana.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Two wides! Pushed very full but down leg, Sanju Samson does very well to fling himself to his right and get a hand to it. Parries it away for an extra.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Stumping chance missed! And there's a chance at the other end too but the throw does not hit. Flicked from the front of the hand, very full and down leg, Sai steps out and tries to flick but misses. The ball goes off Samson's gloves towards short fine leg and it is picked up by Sandeep Sharma there. Sandeep fires in a throw at the bowling end but misses as a run is sneaked in.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Too full, at 122.5 kph, on off, Sai Sudharsan carves it away to deep backward point for a single. An excellent over from Sandeep this.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Pace on, overpitched, outside off, Sai squeezes it out but hits it straight to backward point.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, A leg cutter, slower one, outside off, on a length, Shahrukh drags it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, driven away to deep cover for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Did Shahrukh Khan lift his back leg? A stumping appeal has been sent upstairs. Sanju Samson could not gather the ball and it deflected onto the stumps off his left pad. The replays show that when the stumps were broken, Khan had his back leg grounded. NOT !
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, An appeal for stumping from RR!
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! Placement! Too full and flat from Maheesh, outside off, Shahrukh Khan carves it out and slices it past backward point for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! In the gap! Floated fuller and outside off, Shahrukh Khan lunges forward to drive to the off side, but gets off the thickish outside edge. It bisects the two fielders at backward point and short third for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! BANG! TA HERE! Short and on the stumps, Khan rocks back and pulls it well over deep mid-wicket for a huge six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, Back of a length, drifting on pads, flicked away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
STRATEGIC BREAK!
Can Tushar Deshpande finish well?
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Another wide yorker, Shahrukh Khan this time takes a step outside off, and drives it to deep extra cover fielder for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Wide yorker just outside the tramline, Shahrukh Khan looked to steer it, but couldn't get any bat on it. Wide given.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, ! WOW! THAT IS SOME SHOT! Full-length delivery on off, Shahrukh Khan lofts this one over covers for a big six.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan charges down the track but Tushar Deshpande spots it and bowls a bouncer that goes way over the batter's head. Wide given.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Yorker on leg stump, Sai looks to flick it and somehow gets some bat on it, the ball goes into the leg side. Single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery seaming away in the channel outside off, Sai comes charging down to play over covers, but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, A slower one by the looks of it, at 119.7 kph, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan leans on it and drives through cover for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Short and deviating away from outside off, Khan hops and looks for the ramp, but gets a thick outside edge to deep third for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Another one pitched halfway, short and on middle, Shahrukh Khan again misses to connect the pull shot.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Into the surface, short, slow at 119.3 kph, on top of off, Shahrukh is months early to pull and misses to connect.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, ! Oh, that's played with some ease! Angling onto the pads, full in length, Shahrukh Khan flicks it past the diving short fine leg fielder to his left for a boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, INSIDE EDGE, ! Hard length, just outside off, Shahrukh Khan shapes up to pull it away, but inside edges. The ball bounces past the stumps and runs away to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slower short ball, well outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls it along the ground to the right of the deep mid-wicket fielder. Two runs taken.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of length delivery around off, Sai Sudharsan crouches a bit and looks to play the upper cut, but can't connect as the ball zips through to the wicket-keeper.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Quicker bouncer aimed at the body, Shahrukh Khan goes for the pull but can't get any bat on it. Samson, the wicket-keeper, jumps to his left and gets a hand to it and deflects it towards deep fine leg. Batters run a bye.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Speared in fuller and on off, Shahrukh Khan closes the bat face a bit early to flick, and gets the leading edge. The ball lobs over the cover-point region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Had the throw hit, Sai was gone! Archer starts with a yorker on off, Sai drives it straight to mid off and sets off for a quick single, Sandeep at mid off is quick to gather the ball and he throws it at the bowling, but misses the direct-hit.Â
Shahrukh Khan is in at number 4. Also, Jofra Archer (2-0-14-1) replaces Tushar Deshpande.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! LBW! Excellent review from the Royals and Maheesh Theekshana has broken through for them. Pushed through by Theekshana, on middle, on the shorter side, Jos has a swipe across the line but the ball skids through to go under the blade and hit him on the back thigh. Sanju Samson has a word with the bowler and takes the review. The UltraEdge shows no bat and the Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball hitting the leg stump. Theekshana is pumped as
Is that out? An appeal for LBW but the umpire denies. It is sent upstairs for a review by RR. UltraEdge shows a flat line with a clear gap between bat and ball. Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. !
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Fires a yorker in, on middle, Jos digs it out back to the bowler.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, ! Picks the gap nicely! Around off, on a nagging length, Sai Sudharsan plants his front foot ahead and smears it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Slows it down and at the stumps, Sai presses forward to block it out.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, 1 run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Nails the yorker, on off, Sai tries to squeeze it out but misses as the ball sneaks under the bat.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Hurls it full, on middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On top of off, on a good length, Sai clips it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Spots the batter back away and tries to bang it in but this goes beyond the wide tramline on off.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Pace taken off and bowled from wide of the crease, on a good length, on middle, Buttler turns it through backward square leg for another single.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Sliding into the pads, on a nagging length, Jos flicks it to the right of long on and comes back for the second run.
STRATEGIC BREAK! Despite losing Shubman Gill pretty early into the innings, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have neutralized any threats of a collapse and have batted with positive intent. They have smashed 50 runs in the last four overs. With a solid foundation already set for the middle overs, these two will look to bat with the same intensity. Of course, the track looks like a haven to bat on, and apart from Jofra Archer, RR's bowlers have lacked consistency in their lines and lengths. They
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a back of a length, angling away, Sai jabs it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! Smashed!
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Pushed through, on off, on a nagging length, Jos gets on top of it and punches it to the right of deep cover for a brace.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! POWER! This is a touch fuller on off, Buttler punches it through covers, as the ball races away off the turf for four.Â
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Flat and short, on off, Jos punches it wide of cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a length, Sai makes room and punches it past cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Slanting down leg, on the shorter side, Sai Sudharsan swings to help it away but misses.
Change.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, ! Innovative! Pace off delivery fuller, on off stump line, Buttler moves across and plays the scoop behind the wicket. That is played very fine of the short fine leg fielder to his right.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Drags the length back and pushes it across the right-hander, Jos backs away and swings for the pull but the ball sneaks under the bat.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a nagging length, tucked to deep square leg for the third single in a row.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Going across, on a length, on the off stump, Jos pushes it in front of mid off for a quick single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-0-17-0) is back on. He repalces Tushar Deshpande.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Bashes the hard length from over the wicket and tucks the batter up for room, Sai mistimes the pull to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Hurls it right up there, on middle and leg, knocked along the ground to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Slanting into the pads, another slower one, on a length, Sudharsan clips it to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Goes very full, on middle, Jos premeditates the charge and ends up yorking himself. Jams it out to long on for one more.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket and it is the knuckleball, at 106.5 kph, on a good length, at the stumps, Sai waits back and punches it to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Spots the batter backing away and follows him, on a back of a length, Buttler nudges it to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Wide! A well-directed bumper but a bit too high, over middle, Jos swivels for the pull but misses. 50 comes up for the Gujarat Titans!
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, On off, on a good length, Jos Buttler wrists it from the crease straight to mid-wicket.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! He is just dealing in boundaries at the moment! Almost a half-tracker from Deshpande, across off, Sai Sudharsan hangs on the back foot and cuts it square, perfectly between cover and point for a boundary. An expensive start for Tushar Deshpande as he concedes 18 off his first over. 28 in the last two overs for GT.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, A bit of a shape away from off, full in length, Jos Buttler with a front foot push to the mid off region. A single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a nagging length, on off, Sai Sudharsan knocks it into the cover region for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! What a shot that is! Not too full, around off, Sai Sudharsan leans onto the ball and with a straight bat face, drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Down leg, length. Left. Wide called.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! Now that is a fine shot!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Oh, this one nips back in sharply, on a good length, on top of middle. Sai Sudharsan is a bit surprised with that excessive bounce, but manages to bunt it onto the surface.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Tushar Deshpande is into the attack and starts off with a loosener! Good length, just down leg going straight on. Sai Sudharsan misses to nudge it across. Wide called.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Across off, on a good length, at 132.6 kph, Jos Buttler expands his arms and drives it straight to mid off.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Swinging a bit away from off, full in length, Sai Sudharsan presses forward and knocks it to the off side, in front of covers. A single taken.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Clever, very clever! Seeing Sudharsan making an initial walk forward, Fazalhaq Farooqi bangs short and outside off, Sai Sudharsan adjusts well to it and ramps it over deep third for a 60-meter six.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, A low full toss, angling back in from middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Angling across off, on a good length, Jos Buttler expects it to come back in, but it pitches and nibbles away. He throws his bat away from the body, and misses to connect.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Length-delivery, angling on top of off, now at 147.2 kph, Sai Sudharsan hops and taps it across into the leg side.Â
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, at 144.9 kph, on middle, Buttler tucks off the inside half of the bat. The ball rolls into the leg side, near mid-wicket and they cross for a single.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, ! Good response from Buttler this time around! Angling in, outside off, full, Jos Buttler caresses it through the gap between cover and point for a cracking boundary.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, skidding through on the stumps, Jos Buttler with a tentative push, gets an inside edge onto the front thigh pad. The ball ricochets and rolls past the square leg region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Man, oh man! This is some serious gas from Archer! Dug into the surface, a steep bumper, on the bodyline. Jos Buttler can only duck under it. Welcome mate, says Archer to his countryman.
Jos Buttler comes in at number 3.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, ! BOWLED'EM! A snorter of a delivery and Jofra enjoys it to the bits.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, JAFFA! Some lateral movement there for Farooqi, on a good length, deviating away off the pitch. Sai Sudharsan tries to push into the off side, but is beaten all ends up on the outside edge.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Touch full and angling into the batter from off. Sai Sudharsan presses forward and pushes it past the point region and scampers back for the second.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Top shot! On the back of a length, shaping away from the left-hander, outside off, Sai Sudharsan waits for it, weighs on the back foot and cuts it to the left of backward point for a cracking boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, An inswinger, full and angling in on off, Sai Sudharsan watchfully pushes it to mid on.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller one, on middle, Sai flicks it to mid-wicket.
Fazalhaq Farooqi will steam in from the other end.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shubman Gill, Back of a length, angling on middle, from leg, Shubman Gill defends and gets an inside edge on the pads. The ball rolls near the strip in the off side and the batters take a single.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Some serious pace this from Archer. An appeal for LBW, but dies down soon after as the umpire denies. The skipper Samson is still enquiring about it, but turns away eventually. Pitching somewhere outside leg, on a fullish length, angling in, Sai Sudharsan misses to flick and wears on the pads.Â
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Nipping back into the batter, on a good length, on off, Shubman Gill tucks it across off the back foot and runs a quick single. The GT skipper is also off the mark.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, WIDE! Pace on, short but down leg. Shubman Gill opts out of the pull shot and lets it pass.Â
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a hard length, around off, Sai Sudharsan hops on the back foot and taps it into the off side, near the strip and sets off for a quick single. Gujarat Titans and Sai Sudharsan are off the mark!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, BEATEN! On the money is Jofra Archer! He starts off with a couple of slips in position, and lands it on a good length, shaping away from the off stump line. Sai Sudharsan tries to ride the bounce and block, but plays inside the line and the ball beats his outside edge. Good carry behind to the keeper.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.
We are all set to get going. Sanju Samson and his men are in a huddle near the ropes before taking their respective positions on the field. It will be the left-hand right-hand combination of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill to open the innings for the Gujarat Titans. Jofra Archer will kickstart the proceedings with the new ball for the Royals. Archer to Sai with two slips in place. Here we go!
Impact players nominated by the Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(C)(WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.
Impact players nominated by the Gujarat Titans - Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror and Nishant Sindhu.
The skipper of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, expects a bit of dew coming in the latter stages, so bowling is a good option. Talks about how each and every game in the IPL is important, and feels grateful to win the last two games. As a captain, he feels great to be back to lead the side. Says they retained six players before the auction, but still, it is a very new team and there are a few new faces in the squad as well. Mentions that it took a bit of time to gel together. About the wick
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI) - Shubman Gill(C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma.
The skipper of the Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill says that they would have bowled first as well. Adds that there has been dew in the past few games.
TOSS - Sanju Samson calls it correctly and the Rajasthan Royals have opted to BOWL first.
... THE RUN CHASE ...
Well then, 218 is the magic number for RR to win this game. In case you don't know, 207 is the highest successful run chase at this venue, and the pitch is suitable for the batters, so it can be termed as doable. However, just like GT openers were tested against Archer's searing pace, RR's openers too, will be interrogated thoroughly by the in-form Mohammed Siraj. In such big chases, it is all about starting on a high. An exciting run chase is up next shortly. Stay tuned.
Sai Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans is up for a chat. He says there was some seam movement at the start, but then the wicket was very good to bat on. He says, Jofra bowled well at the start, but then they did consolidate by scoring some runs in middle and death overs. He says he and Buttler understood the wicket was good to bat on, and hence they both started to push a bit more to get a good total on the board. Feels they are 10-15 runs short the way they were batting, but there is no dew as
With the death overs approaching and enough wickets in the bank, GT batters had the license to go bang bang at the death. But a couple of quiet overs, helped RR to drag this back a bit with a couple of quick wickets as GT slipped from 156/2 to 163/4. Despite those fall of wickets, Sai Sudharsan looked in a league of his own and batted with absolute freedom. However, he couldnât bat till the end, but his marathon knock of 82 helped GT to get past the 200-run mark. And with those late cameos fr
Jofra Archer aside, Theekshana was the only bowler creating genuine opportunities. He finally broke through by removing Buttler just as the partnership was becoming dangerous for RR. Undeterred, Sai Sudharsan stepped up and took responsibility, while untested Shahrukh Khan too, started off positively. The positive thing for GT was, the incoming batters came out with intent, which kept the scoring rate hovering above and around 10 runs per over.
Jofra Archer challenged GT's openers with sharp pace and bounce. He quickly claimed Shubman Gill's wicket early in the innings. In response, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, mounted a strong counter-attack. Sudharsan took the aggressive role while Buttler provided steady support. The pair worked well together after the early setback. As a result, GT managed to get 56 in the first six overs.
As mentioned by the experts before the start of the game, this pitch is a safe haven for the batters, and we just witnessed that. Another occasion when the 200-run mark has been breached this season. Pitch number 7 is what we are talking about, where the average score itself is 209, so GT have done quite well to get past that as well. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, had their moments here and there, but barring Archer, all the rest of the bowlers were carted for runs.
With a solid platform established, the feared collapse was avoided as they focused on building through the middle overs. Buttler accelerated after the field restrictions eased, lifting the scoring rate confidently. Both batters played with composure, relying on proper cricket shots rather than risky plays to maintain their momentum. Sai Sudharsan notched yet another half-century on the way.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! A boundary to finish the innings! 16 runs off the final over. Sandeep does not do much wrong here. Gets a full ball in, attacking the stumps but Rahul gets down on a knee and brings out the sweep. Hits it along the ground to the left of deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Low full toss, on off, Rahul will feel that he missed out. He is early into the shot and it dribbles off the toe end towards mid off. Arshad Khan sets off for a single but Tewatia sends him back.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Another slower bouncer attempted by Sandeep but this goes over the batter's head.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Good comeback! A slower bumper, over off, Tewatia steps out and swings but for the pull but fails to connect.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Clubbed! Knuckleball from Sharma, on a length, outside off, Tewatia gets nice and low and nails the hit across the line over deep mid-wicket for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Wide!
Arshad Khan is in at number 8. Also, Rajasthan Royals have been penalised for not completing their 20 overs on time. Meaning, an extra fielder will have to be stationed inside the third-yard circle. So, only three fielders will be permitted to be in the deep. Here's Sandeep Sharma (3-0-25-1) to wrap up the first innings.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Changes his angle of attack as he comes from over the wicket. Bowls a slower one, on off, Rahul tries to steer this full ball behind square on the off side but misses.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, ! Up and over! Not a great option with mid off inside the circle, a scrambled seam delivery, full in length, Tewatia gets under the ball and lifts it over mid off for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! TAKEN! Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls off a stunner! Tushar keeps the line near the tramline on off, on a short of a length and does not offer much pace, Rashid walks across his stumps and goes for the no-look pick-up shot. Lifts his front leg as he plays the shot but fails to get it wide enough of the man at square leg inside the circle.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Gets the yorker in, outside off, Rashid gets his bat down and glides it to the left of deep backward point for a couple of runs. GT breach the 200-run mark!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! Not convincing but Rashid will take it! Dug in short at pace by Tushar with fine leg inside the circle, Khan swings and attempts almost a tennis forehand shot. The ball takes the edge and flies over short fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, ! High and handsome! Tushar takes pace off and goes full this time, around off, Rashid puts the dancing shoes on and clobbers it over long on for a six.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! CAUGHT AND BEHIND! A sharp grab from Sanju Samson!
Rashid Khan is in to bat now.
Tushar Deshpande to Rashid Khan, Wide!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Angling across, off-pace delivery, on a back of a length, Sai is beaten on the pull.
Tushar Deshpande to bowl the penultimate over. He is 3-0-39-0 so far.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Shubham Dubey puts it down and Jofra Archer isn't pleased one bit!
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Bashes the hard length, on middle and leg, Tewatia whips it off the hips to deep backward square leg for one.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Pace on, a sharp and quick bumper, around off, Tewatia sways away.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, In the air...but falls well short! Jofra takes pace off and goes into the wicket at the left shoulder of the batter, Sai swivels for the pull but gets a top edge that balloons and falls well ahead of Sandeep Sharma at deep fine leg. They cross.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Executes the yorker to perfection, at the base of the off stump, Rahul jams it out to backward point and crosses over.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, Wide! Pushed down leg, on a length, Rahul has a swing at it but misses.
Jofra Archer to Rahul Tewatia, ! That's what pace can do! Nowhere close to where Tewatia intended it to go! Archer goes searching for the yorker but it comes out as a low full toss, on off, Rahul looks to swat it away with the angle but gets a top edge that sails over deep third for a six.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Drags the length back, on middle, Rahul slaps it down to long on for one. GT lost Sherfane Rutherford in the over but managed to score 13 runs off it. 31 off the last two overs for GT.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Serves the knuckleball, very full, on off, Sai Sudharsan is early into the heave across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it rolls behind on the leg side for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Up and over! Slightly fuller, on off, Sai waits back and opens up his front hip to go inside out. Launches it over extra cover for a one-bounce boundary.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, ! Slammed away! Angling away from the left-hander, on a short of a good length, Sai angles the bat face and flays it aerially towards deep point. Dhruv Jurel leaps but in vain as the ball sails over his him.
Sandeep Sharma to Rahul Tewatia, Off-pace delivery, on off, Rahul dabs it wide of backward point for a single.
Rahul Tewatia is in at number 6.
Sandeep Sharma to Sherfane Rutherford, ! EDGED AND GONE! Sherfane Rutherford can do some serious damage at this stage in the game and this is a massive wicket for the Royals. Pushed across the left-hander, on a good length, Sherfane reaches out to work it away on the off side with a horizontal bat. The outside edge is found and the keeper, Sanju Samson takes it with ease to his left.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, Flatter and shorter, on the pads, Sherfane Rutherford swings to go across the line. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and it lobs past Samson to his right for a single.
Will Theekshana finish the over well?
Maheesh Theekshana to Sherfane Rutherford, ! Sherfane Rutherford is up and running with a biggie! Right in the arc, a length ball, on off, Sherfane waits back and thumps it high over wide long on for a six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! st Sanju Samson b Maheesh Theekshana.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Two wides! Pushed very full but down leg, Sanju Samson does very well to fling himself to his right and get a hand to it. Parries it away for an extra.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Stumping chance missed! And there's a chance at the other end too but the throw does not hit. Flicked from the front of the hand, very full and down leg, Sai steps out and tries to flick but misses. The ball goes off Samson's gloves towards short fine leg and it is picked up by Sandeep Sharma there. Sandeep fires in a throw at the bowling end but misses as a run is sneaked in.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Too full, at 122.5 kph, on off, Sai Sudharsan carves it away to deep backward point for a single. An excellent over from Sandeep this.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Pace on, overpitched, outside off, Sai squeezes it out but hits it straight to backward point.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, A leg cutter, slower one, outside off, on a length, Shahrukh drags it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, driven away to deep cover for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Shahrukh Khan, 1 run.
Did Shahrukh Khan lift his back leg? A stumping appeal has been sent upstairs. Sanju Samson could not gather the ball and it deflected onto the stumps off his left pad. The replays show that when the stumps were broken, Khan had his back leg grounded. NOT !
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, An appeal for stumping from RR!
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! Placement! Too full and flat from Maheesh, outside off, Shahrukh Khan carves it out and slices it past backward point for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! In the gap! Floated fuller and outside off, Shahrukh Khan lunges forward to drive to the off side, but gets off the thickish outside edge. It bisects the two fielders at backward point and short third for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, ! BANG! TA HERE! Short and on the stumps, Khan rocks back and pulls it well over deep mid-wicket for a huge six.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Shahrukh Khan, Back of a length, drifting on pads, flicked away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
STRATEGIC BREAK!
Can Tushar Deshpande finish well?
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Another wide yorker, Shahrukh Khan this time takes a step outside off, and drives it to deep extra cover fielder for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Wide yorker just outside the tramline, Shahrukh Khan looked to steer it, but couldn't get any bat on it. Wide given.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, ! WOW! THAT IS SOME SHOT! Full-length delivery on off, Shahrukh Khan lofts this one over covers for a big six.Â
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan charges down the track but Tushar Deshpande spots it and bowls a bouncer that goes way over the batter's head. Wide given.
Tushar Deshpande to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Yorker on leg stump, Sai looks to flick it and somehow gets some bat on it, the ball goes into the leg side. Single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery seaming away in the channel outside off, Sai comes charging down to play over covers, but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, A slower one by the looks of it, at 119.7 kph, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan leans on it and drives through cover for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Short and deviating away from outside off, Khan hops and looks for the ramp, but gets a thick outside edge to deep third for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Another one pitched halfway, short and on middle, Shahrukh Khan again misses to connect the pull shot.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, Into the surface, short, slow at 119.3 kph, on top of off, Shahrukh is months early to pull and misses to connect.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, ! Oh, that's played with some ease! Angling onto the pads, full in length, Shahrukh Khan flicks it past the diving short fine leg fielder to his left for a boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shahrukh Khan, INSIDE EDGE, ! Hard length, just outside off, Shahrukh Khan shapes up to pull it away, but inside edges. The ball bounces past the stumps and runs away to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slower short ball, well outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls it along the ground to the right of the deep mid-wicket fielder. Two runs taken.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of length delivery around off, Sai Sudharsan crouches a bit and looks to play the upper cut, but can't connect as the ball zips through to the wicket-keeper.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Quicker bouncer aimed at the body, Shahrukh Khan goes for the pull but can't get any bat on it. Samson, the wicket-keeper, jumps to his left and gets a hand to it and deflects it towards deep fine leg. Batters run a bye.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, No run.
Jofra Archer to Shahrukh Khan, Speared in fuller and on off, Shahrukh Khan closes the bat face a bit early to flick, and gets the leading edge. The ball lobs over the cover-point region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Had the throw hit, Sai was gone! Archer starts with a yorker on off, Sai drives it straight to mid off and sets off for a quick single, Sandeep at mid off is quick to gather the ball and he throws it at the bowling, but misses the direct-hit.Â
Shahrukh Khan is in at number 4. Also, Jofra Archer (2-0-14-1) replaces Tushar Deshpande.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! LBW! Excellent review from the Royals and Maheesh Theekshana has broken through for them. Pushed through by Theekshana, on middle, on the shorter side, Jos has a swipe across the line but the ball skids through to go under the blade and hit him on the back thigh. Sanju Samson has a word with the bowler and takes the review. The UltraEdge shows no bat and the Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball hitting the leg stump. Theekshana is pumped as
Is that out? An appeal for LBW but the umpire denies. It is sent upstairs for a review by RR. UltraEdge shows a flat line with a clear gap between bat and ball. Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. !
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Fires a yorker in, on middle, Jos digs it out back to the bowler.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, ! Picks the gap nicely! Around off, on a nagging length, Sai Sudharsan plants his front foot ahead and smears it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Slows it down and at the stumps, Sai presses forward to block it out.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, 1 run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Nails the yorker, on off, Sai tries to squeeze it out but misses as the ball sneaks under the bat.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Hurls it full, on middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On top of off, on a good length, Sai clips it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a run.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Spots the batter back away and tries to bang it in but this goes beyond the wide tramline on off.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Pace taken off and bowled from wide of the crease, on a good length, on middle, Buttler turns it through backward square leg for another single.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, Sliding into the pads, on a nagging length, Jos flicks it to the right of long on and comes back for the second run.
STRATEGIC BREAK! Despite losing Shubman Gill pretty early into the innings, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have neutralized any threats of a collapse and have batted with positive intent. They have smashed 50 runs in the last four overs. With a solid foundation already set for the middle overs, these two will look to bat with the same intensity. Of course, the track looks like a haven to bat on, and apart from Jofra Archer, RR's bowlers have lacked consistency in their lines and lengths. They
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a back of a length, angling away, Sai jabs it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! Smashed!
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Pushed through, on off, on a nagging length, Jos gets on top of it and punches it to the right of deep cover for a brace.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, ! POWER! This is a touch fuller on off, Buttler punches it through covers, as the ball races away off the turf for four.Â
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.
Maheesh Theekshana to Jos Buttler, Flat and short, on off, Jos punches it wide of cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a length, Sai makes room and punches it past cover for a single.
Maheesh Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan, Wide! Slanting down leg, on the shorter side, Sai Sudharsan swings to help it away but misses.
Change.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Four!
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, ! Innovative! Pace off delivery fuller, on off stump line, Buttler moves across and plays the scoop behind the wicket. That is played very fine of the short fine leg fielder to his right.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Drags the length back and pushes it across the right-hander, Jos backs away and swings for the pull but the ball sneaks under the bat.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, On off, on a nagging length, tucked to deep square leg for the third single in a row.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Going across, on a length, on the off stump, Jos pushes it in front of mid off for a quick single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-0-17-0) is back on. He repalces Tushar Deshpande.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Bashes the hard length from over the wicket and tucks the batter up for room, Sai mistimes the pull to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Hurls it right up there, on middle and leg, knocked along the ground to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, Slanting into the pads, another slower one, on a length, Sudharsan clips it to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Goes very full, on middle, Jos premeditates the charge and ends up yorking himself. Jams it out to long on for one more.
Sandeep Sharma to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket and it is the knuckleball, at 106.5 kph, on a good length, at the stumps, Sai waits back and punches it to long on for a single.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Spots the batter backing away and follows him, on a back of a length, Buttler nudges it to deep square leg for one.
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, Wide! A well-directed bumper but a bit too high, over middle, Jos swivels for the pull but misses. 50 comes up for the Gujarat Titans!
Sandeep Sharma to Jos Buttler, On off, on a good length, Jos Buttler wrists it from the crease straight to mid-wicket.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! He is just dealing in boundaries at the moment! Almost a half-tracker from Deshpande, across off, Sai Sudharsan hangs on the back foot and cuts it square, perfectly between cover and point for a boundary. An expensive start for Tushar Deshpande as he concedes 18 off his first over. 28 in the last two overs for GT.
Tushar Deshpande to Jos Buttler, A bit of a shape away from off, full in length, Jos Buttler with a front foot push to the mid off region. A single taken.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, On a nagging length, on off, Sai Sudharsan knocks it into the cover region for a single.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! What a shot that is! Not too full, around off, Sai Sudharsan leans onto the ball and with a straight bat face, drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Down leg, length. Left. Wide called.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, ! Now that is a fine shot!
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, Oh, this one nips back in sharply, on a good length, on top of middle. Sai Sudharsan is a bit surprised with that excessive bounce, but manages to bunt it onto the surface.
Tushar Deshpande to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE! Tushar Deshpande is into the attack and starts off with a loosener! Good length, just down leg going straight on. Sai Sudharsan misses to nudge it across. Wide called.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Across off, on a good length, at 132.6 kph, Jos Buttler expands his arms and drives it straight to mid off.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Swinging a bit away from off, full in length, Sai Sudharsan presses forward and knocks it to the off side, in front of covers. A single taken.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Clever, very clever! Seeing Sudharsan making an initial walk forward, Fazalhaq Farooqi bangs short and outside off, Sai Sudharsan adjusts well to it and ramps it over deep third for a 60-meter six.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, A low full toss, angling back in from middle, Jos Buttler flicks it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jos Buttler, Angling across off, on a good length, Jos Buttler expects it to come back in, but it pitches and nibbles away. He throws his bat away from the body, and misses to connect.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Length-delivery, angling on top of off, now at 147.2 kph, Sai Sudharsan hops and taps it across into the leg side.Â
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, at 144.9 kph, on middle, Buttler tucks off the inside half of the bat. The ball rolls into the leg side, near mid-wicket and they cross for a single.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, ! Good response from Buttler this time around! Angling in, outside off, full, Jos Buttler caresses it through the gap between cover and point for a cracking boundary.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Back of a length, skidding through on the stumps, Jos Buttler with a tentative push, gets an inside edge onto the front thigh pad. The ball ricochets and rolls past the square leg region for a couple of runs.
Jofra Archer to Jos Buttler, Man, oh man! This is some serious gas from Archer! Dug into the surface, a steep bumper, on the bodyline. Jos Buttler can only duck under it. Welcome mate, says Archer to his countryman.
Jos Buttler comes in at number 3.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, ! BOWLED'EM! A snorter of a delivery and Jofra enjoys it to the bits.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, JAFFA! Some lateral movement there for Farooqi, on a good length, deviating away off the pitch. Sai Sudharsan tries to push into the off side, but is beaten all ends up on the outside edge.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Touch full and angling into the batter from off. Sai Sudharsan presses forward and pushes it past the point region and scampers back for the second.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, ! Top shot! On the back of a length, shaping away from the left-hander, outside off, Sai Sudharsan waits for it, weighs on the back foot and cuts it to the left of backward point for a cracking boundary.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, An inswinger, full and angling in on off, Sai Sudharsan watchfully pushes it to mid on.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller one, on middle, Sai flicks it to mid-wicket.
Fazalhaq Farooqi will steam in from the other end.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Shubman Gill, Back of a length, angling on middle, from leg, Shubman Gill defends and gets an inside edge on the pads. The ball rolls near the strip in the off side and the batters take a single.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Four!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Some serious pace this from Archer. An appeal for LBW, but dies down soon after as the umpire denies. The skipper Samson is still enquiring about it, but turns away eventually. Pitching somewhere outside leg, on a fullish length, angling in, Sai Sudharsan misses to flick and wears on the pads.Â
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Nipping back into the batter, on a good length, on off, Shubman Gill tucks it across off the back foot and runs a quick single. The GT skipper is also off the mark.
Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, WIDE! Pace on, short but down leg. Shubman Gill opts out of the pull shot and lets it pass.Â
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a hard length, around off, Sai Sudharsan hops on the back foot and taps it into the off side, near the strip and sets off for a quick single. Gujarat Titans and Sai Sudharsan are off the mark!
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, BEATEN! On the money is Jofra Archer! He starts off with a couple of slips in position, and lands it on a good length, shaping away from the off stump line. Sai Sudharsan tries to ride the bounce and block, but plays inside the line and the ball beats his outside edge. Good carry behind to the keeper.
Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.
We are all set to get going. Sanju Samson and his men are in a huddle near the ropes before taking their respective positions on the field. It will be the left-hand right-hand combination of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill to open the innings for the Gujarat Titans. Jofra Archer will kickstart the proceedings with the new ball for the Royals. Archer to Sai with two slips in place. Here we go!
Impact players nominated by the Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(C)(WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.
Impact players nominated by the Gujarat Titans - Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror and Nishant Sindhu.
The skipper of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, expects a bit of dew coming in the latter stages, so bowling is a good option. Talks about how each and every game in the IPL is important, and feels grateful to win the last two games. As a captain, he feels great to be back to lead the side. Says they retained six players before the auction, but still, it is a very new team and there are a few new faces in the squad as well. Mentions that it took a bit of time to gel together. About the wick
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI) - Shubman Gill(C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma.
The skipper of the Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill says that they would have bowled first as well. Adds that there has been dew in the past few games.
TOSS - Sanju Samson calls it correctly and the Rajasthan Royals have opted to BOWL first.