Results in brief: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (206/5) beat Gujarat Titans (205/3 in 20 overs) by 5 wickets at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
RCB vs GT: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
They say catches win matches and Gujarat Titans learned that the hard way. GT had a chance to dismiss Virat Kohli for a golden duck but let him go and Royal Challengers Bengaluru made them pay with a five-wicket win at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
Kohli is not one to offer second chances and he took full advantage of them, leaving the Titans to rue the missed opportunities. He scored 81 off 44 balls, including eight fours and four sixes, as RCB made 205 with seven balls to spare.
Sai Sudharsan reached his third IPL centurybut his efforts were in vain as GT slumped to a second straight defeat and slipped into the bottom half of the table.
RCB also signed off their leg in Bengaluru in style, winning four of their five matches and climbing to the second spot in the table with a net rate of +1.101. However, the challenge may have intensified as they moved away from Chinnaswamy, with five away matches remaining and two matches at their alternate home in Raipur.
SUDHARSAN RULES THE FIRST HALF
After GT was asked to bat first, the first 10 overs belonged to Sudharsan who opened early and got off to a flying start. Shubman Gill hardly got a shot, playing a supporting role in just over the run-a-ball, rotating the strike for the most part, while Sudharsan took charge and put the RCB bowlers under pressure with a smooth pull.
Sudharsan raced into the 70s and looked well on course for a hundred with half an innings still to go. In the process, he also became the fastest to 2,000 IPL runs, reaching the milestone in just 47 innings, surpassing Chris Gayle.
He had earlier scored 73 against Rajasthan Royals but has struggled to convert starts since then. However, on the batting surface at Chinnaswamy, he made the most of the opportunity to regain momentum.
Sudharsan was equally strict on Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya as the Titans scored 104 without loss in the first 10 overs.
SUDHARSAN RAISES GUJARAT FOR 200
After a brisk start, Sudharsan anchored the innings brilliantly to ensure that the Titans posted a strong 205 for three. Just when the opening stand threatened to pile on more misery for RCB, Suyash Sharma struck and dismissed Shubman Gill for 32 off 24 balls.
However, Sudharsan went on to bring up a beautiful century off 57 deliveries. But just when he looked set to accelerate in the death overs, he was removed by Josh Hazlewood, after which the Titans lost quite a bit of momentum. From 170 in 16 overs, they managed only 17 runs in the next three.
Jos Buttler got into the game with a promising 25 before being dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The final over brought late drama as Rasikh Salam cramped while Krunal Pandya battled discomfort to complete the over.
Titans debutant Jason Holder then took the lead, smashing two sixes and a four off Krunal to collect 18 runs and take GT past the 200-run mark.
SUNDAR MAKES A BLUNDER
The Titans had a golden chance to put RCB under pressure when Mohammed Siraj created an opportunity to dismiss Virat Kohli for a golden duck. Before this game, Kohli averaged 87.75 against GT, which highlights how much he enjoys facing the Titans. However, Washington Sundar dropped a straight catch at mid-wicket, handing the RCB top-class batsman a vital lifeline.
Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell did not make the cut in his first appearance of the season. Playing in place of the injured Phil Salt, he looked promising during his 14-run knock before Siraj completed his innings. But Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal saw to it that RCB scored 58 runs in the powerplay and stayed firmly on track in their chase.
At the halfway mark, Kohli and Padikkal powered RCB to 118, reducing the required run rate to 8.80. Every goal Kohli scored only deepened Sundar’s regret and left him rueing a dearly missed chance.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
24 Apr 2026 23:09 IST
