Royal Challengers Bengaluru started their campaign on a high note but have struggled to maintain the momentum of their campaign as they have hit roadblocks from time to time. After this loss to the Gujarat Titans, they still maintain their place at the second position, but they faced a massive drop in their net run rate, which was skyrocketing until now.

The Gujarat Titans attacked the weak point of Rajat Patidar’s team by pushing them to bat first, which has not been their particular strong point this season. After a spectacular bowling game, the Titans were on a roll and looking to end the chase as soon as possible.

The Shubman Gill-led GT team finally avenged their defeat at Chinnaswamy with a promising show at home in Ahmedabad and added two more points to their points tally. RCB could not defend the small total despite falling wickets.

RCB struggled despite Virat Kohli’s surprising start

Rajat Patidar’s team got off to a positive start with Virat Kohli scoring most of the powerplay. Kohli smashed a quick 28 runs off Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, giving them a perfect start.

After Kohli’s dismissal, captain Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal helped them in the powerplay but then some exquisite efforts from Jason Holder helped Titans come back in the match.

RCB were in grave danger as wickets kept falling at regular intervals, and all the GT players were hitting at those mid-wickets. Arshad Khan picked three, while Holder and Rashid Khan picked two wickets each, thus dismissing the Challengers with a score of 155.

Shubman Gill’s quick start and Jos Buttler’s drive helped GT chase the timid target.

With Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s experienced bowling line-up, even chasing a score of 158 was not an easy task for the Gujarat Titans batsmen. Like Rajat Patidar’s Bhuvneshwar bowling unit, Kumar once again bowled his tight lengths and picked the wickets of the top three batsmen in the GT line-up who have contributed around 70% of the franchise’s runs in this IPL season.

However, the initial carnage by Shubman Gill and then Jos Buttler before they were dismissed had done most of the work, with the finishing touch coming from the partnership between Rahul Tewatiya and Jason Holder towards the end of the innings.

Rashid Khan played the winning shot and GT ended the chase with 25 balls left in the innings, and RCB, surprisingly, had bowled only their four bowlers in the innings.

I think the score was not good enough – Rajat Patidar

“I think the score was not good enough but I think the way we bowled and extended it to 15, 16 overs, I think it is a positive sign for us. There is definitely good grass cover on the surface which helped the fast bowlers,” RCB captain Rajat Patidar said.

Rajat Patidar praised Shubman Gill’s pivotal role in GT’s victory: “I think the way Shubman played, I think he played wonderfully in the power play. And he put pressure on us, but the way we came back and stretched to the 16th over, I think it’s positive.”

“As we all know, I think he is an experienced bowler of the T20 format, and the way he bowled in the first half, I think is incredible. But I think it is a long road, and we will take it one game at a time. There will surely be a hiccup along the way,” Patidar said in awe of Bhuvneshwar’s ability to take wickets.

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