Kagiso Rabada claimed two crucial wickets to help Gujarat Titans secure an nervy four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in a Tata Indian Premier League clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening.
The South African speedster’s devastating spell in the powerplay, complemented by Jason Holder’s four-wicket haul, set the stage for a match that ultimately favoured Gill’s side in a thrilling chase. Gujarat Titans won the toss and elected to bowl first on a pitch offering considerable movement and bounce to the seamers.
Punjab’s batting unit, despite some enterprising contributions from Suryansh Shedge (57 off 29 balls) and Marcus Stoinis (40 off 31), collapsed to post 163/9 — a total that looked competitive but proved vulnerable under pressure. Shedge’s blistering half-century, studded with five sixes, provided crucial recovery as the Kings clawed their way back from a dire 47/5.
Marco Jansen struck one four and a six in trying to lift the visitors, falling for 20 from 11 balls, however, Holder’s four-wicket performance — including dismissals of Nehal Wadhera (0), Shreyas Iyer (19), Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett (0) — showcased his bowling mastery in challenging conditions.
Chasing 164, the Titans rode on composed batting from Sai Sudharsan (57 off 41) and Jos Buttler’s entertaining 25 to build momentum through the middle overs. The match tightened considerably as the Kings’ bowlers, particularly Vijaykumar Vyshak (4-0-31-2) and Arshdeep Singh (4-0-24-2), fought back with timely breakthroughs. However, Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 40 and Arshad Khan’s crucial hitting in the final over — including a four squeezed down to fine leg — proved decisive. Gujurat completed a four-wicket win with just one ball to spare, leaving them in fifth place on the log, but level on points with RCB, Sunrisers and Rajasthan, although RCB have a game in hand.