All-round Gujarat Titans drub RCB for second win on the bounce

In what was arguably their most below-par performance since the start of IPL 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru endured a four-wicket hammering at the hands of Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Having mustered just 155 on the board, RCB were subjected to a stunning Shubman Gill onslaught that shut them out of the game, handing the defending champions their third defeat of the season.

Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 155 in 19.2 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 40; Arshad Khan 3-19, Rashid Khan 2-19, Jason Holder 2-29) lost to Gujarat Titans 158/6 in 15.5 overs (Shubman Gill 43, Jos Buttler 39; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-28, Romario Shepherd 2-30) by 4 wickets.

A collective bowling display led by Arshad Khan's three-fer and Jason Holder's two wickets, with Rashid Khan turning in a neat spell, saw RCB bowled out before they could bat out their quota of 20 overs.

A short but entertaining Kohli blitz

Virat Kohli took the attack to Kagiso Rabada in the second over, peeling off five consecutive boundaries with a loft over mid-off, cut through backward point, and a drive through cover point. He stepped out and slammed Mohammed Siraj over long on. But Rabada then shoved one into the pitch as Kohli stepped out and top-edged a pull, handing Rashid Khan a tumbling catch at mid-wicket.

How did RCB's batting come apart?

RCB's batters fell to tame shots aplenty, with as many as four batters including Kohli finding the short mid-wicket fielder. Rajat Patidar's wicket courted controversy as Jason Holder pulled off a stunning catch at deep square leg while avoiding a collision with Rabada. The TV umpire declared Patidar out although replays showed the ball may have made contact with the ground. Holder was everywhere, dismissing Jitesh Sharma before taking another catch as Tim David slogged a Rashid delivery. Only Devdutt Padikkal put up a fight with his 40.

Multiple moments signified RCB's off day: Josh Hazlewood narrowly escaped a run out only to try and steal a bye and find himself short at the non-striker's end, a desperate review confirmed a clear gap between bat and ball, an overthrow from Kohli turned a single into five, and Jitesh dropped Buttler on 1.

Gill destroys Hazlewood in the Powerplay

Shubman Gill took no prisoners, smashing a six in Bhuvneshwar Kumar's opening over. He truly imposed himself against Josh Hazlewood, slamming three fours and two sixes in the second over. Gill middled the ball so well that even the ball he got out to, he smashed it, only to pick out Kohli at cover. Jos Buttler then tore into Hazlewood, who conceded 49 in his three Powerplay overs before finishing with 0/56.

Was there a twist?

Bhuvneshwar bagged his fifth three-wicket haul of the season, removing the top three, even as Buttler's cameo put the chase beyond doubt. Romario Shepherd's double-strike in the 11th over left the door slightly ajar. Rahul Tewatia and Jason Holder put together a brisk 30-run stand, and while Holder perished to Suyash Sharma, Tewatia and Rashid Khan got the job done with plenty of deliveries to spare. Surprisingly, Krunal Pandya did not bowl, especially with RCB hamstrung with options having subbed in a batter.

Where do the teams head next?

GT stay home to host Punjab Kings on Sunday (May 3). RCB enjoy a six-day break before they face Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow next Thursday (May 7).