NEW DELHI: Going 15-20 runs short in the death overs can often backfire on teams and Gujarat Titans experienced just that on Friday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru asked them to bat first in their IPL 2026 clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Despite a flying start and a record opening stand between Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, GT’s 205/3 ultimately felt below par as defending champions RCB began their chase.
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Ravindra Jadeja picks a crucial turning point in Rajasthan Royals’ winMuch of the credit goes to the three defining overs from Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood that suffocated the Titans at the death.Three magical oversAt the end of 16 overs, Gujarat Titans were well placed at 170/2, built on a superb 128-run opening partnership between Sudharsan and Gill. With Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar at the crease and firepower like Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan yet to come, GT looked set to have a total of 230 and more.But the end never came.Suyash Sharma played a superb 17th over, giving away just four runs and not allowing Buttler or Sundar to relax.Bhuvneshwar Kumar followed it up with a clinical 18th over, taking the crucial wicket of Buttler and conceding just five runs. The pressure had already been built and GT was now scrambling.Josh Hazlewood then delivered another tight blow in the nineteenth over, conceding just eight runs and further shutting the door on GT’s late surge.In the end, Gujarat Titans went through 18 deliveries with no boundaries at a crucial stage when they were expected to explode.What once looked like a 230-plus total was pulled back to 205 thanks to RCB’s disciplined execution at the death.Even captain Shubman Gill later admitted how crucial those overs were.“I think from 16 to 19, those three overs, we couldn’t get any boundaries and we didn’t get as many runs as we would have liked. I think those three overs were very key for us. I think we were in a good position at the end of the power play. It was all about the wickets in the middle overs, which I don’t think we could overcome right after the powerplay presentation.”Kohli survives an early lifelineRCB’s chase could have been derailed in the first over, but Gujarat Titans squandered a golden opportunity.Virat Kohli, for nothing, was dismissed off Mohammed Siraj when Washington Sundar put a direct chance at mid-wicket after a mistimed flick.This mistake proved to be extremely costly.Kohli made GT pay in full, smashing 81 off 44 balls, including eight fours and four sixes, at odds of 184.09. He also faced Jason Holder with back-to-back sixes during his commanding knock.The Kohli–Padikkal exhibition seals itDevdutt Padikkal and Kohli then put together a match-defining partnership of 115 runs for the second wicket, putting RCB firmly in control of the chase.Padikkala’s 55 and Kohli’s 81 saw RCB comfortably post 206 in 18.5 overs to climb to second in the points table with 10 points.
