IPL 2025, Game 14, RCBVGT:- RCB’s worst performance at home since 2008 with 75% defeat at 1:3. Jitesh 33 off 21, Livingstone 54 off 40, David 32 off 18, Siraj 3/19 & Sai Kishore 2/22, RCB were 169/8. RCB fell 20 runs short due to GT masterclass bowling. RCB then retaliated with Gill’s wicket as GT took a 35/1 lead in 5 overs. Sai Sudarshan then did what he does best & ensured GT won the match with Butler. Sudharshan dropped his fifty off 49 off 36 but Butler scored 73 off 39 and Rutherford 30 off 18 to win the GT 13 balls. RCB must think of a holder in their batting unit otherwise it will not see Sala Cup Namde but will see Ja Sala Bhad Main once again. The difference in the amount of runs scored by the two teams on the powerplay was just four. However, RCB lost two crucial extra wickets compared to the Titans and that ultimately proved to be their undoing. In the powerplay, RCB scored just 38 for 3 from which they did not recover for the bulk of the innings. The Titans lost skipper Shubman Gill at the same stage but apart from his wicket they remained solid and in control for large parts of the phase which paved the way for the big win. It was an unexpected beginning for many. Siraj was bang on the money from the start
despite Virat Kohli driving him for a lovely boundary from just his second delivery. He should have had his fill salt in the first, but Butler missed a regulation opportunity. But he was relentless and managed to strike in the next over with a delivery that nipped in sharply and shattered the stumps of Devadatta Padikkal. Earlier though RCB were stung at the other end when Arshad Khan got the big fish when Kohli timed one straight to the fielder at deep backward square leg. The powerplay still belonged to Shiraz but he was given his third straight over by Gill. While Salt broke the shackles with a huge 105m six, Siraj returned in style with a full delivery that rattled the stumps. The surface certainly had something for the pacers as Prasidh Krishna managed to get the ball off the deck in his first over and also rounded off the powerplay subtly.
Ishant Sharma, who handed over the ball as the sixth over ended, bowled a fuller delivery and was creamed by RCB skipper Rajat Patidar for a boundary. But the veteran immediately corrected the mistake and pulled back his length a touch to trap Patidar Plumb in front and pile more misery on the home team. Post that, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma steadied the ship with a useful partnership. Jitesh was fierce as he picked for a couple of fours and a six in an over to take Ishant out of the attack. The Titans then bowled both Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan at once and while the Afghanistan spinner was surprisingly expensive, the left-hander helped his side gain control. Rahul Tewatia, who had earlier dropped a catch in Sai Kishore’s over, held on to a chance from Jitesh this time. Livingston was thriving on some luck after Josh Buttler fumbled for the second time on the night, while Sai Kishore bowled a well-camouflaged carrom ball to account for the wicket of Krunal Pandya.
An innings that went nowhere, especially after the twin strikes by Sai Kishore, came to life after Livingstone took a liking to Rashid’s bowling. He was hammered for a six in his penultimate over but it was the final over that really hurt the Titans. As the ball went over the ropes near the boundary, Sai Kishore misjudged and Livingston cashed in and smashed two more deliveries over the ropes to much cheers for the RCB faithful. In the process, he also raised fifty fighters. Siraj again bowled an excellent over to round out his night by the Livingston wicketkeeper while Prasidh was removed by Team David for 4,6,4 as the score was suddenly on its way to crossing 170 in the 15th over.
The challenge for Gill and Chai Sudharsan will always be against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood in the powerplay, given the purchase the Titans pacers get with the new ball. Nothing much happened in the opening three overs, before Sudharson stunned Hazlewood with a ramp that went all the way and then followed with the most perfect straight drive for four With a bit of momentum, Gill smothered Bhwuneshwar for a huge six but died after he mis-timed the ball in an attempt to repeat the shot from the very next ball. The Titans finished the powerplay at 42/1 which was by no means excessive but considering that not much damage was done after negating five overs from Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood.
After the powerplay, it was just one-way traffic. Rashiq Salam was welcomed into the attack with a boundary each by Sudharsan and Butler before the former England skipper took on the young pacer again in 18 overs. Sudharsan, who looked composed, pulled Krunal for a boundary and added two more boundaries from the left-arm spinner to stamp his authority. Just when the Titans were running away with the game, Hazlewood came back and dismissed Sudharson who failed in his attempt to make a clean connection with another ramp. He raced to fifty with a four and a six from Livingston but at the other end Scharfen Rutherford also got off to a good start.
The chase was well and truly under GT control when the equation came down to 29 for 24 runs. At that point Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood had one over left to bowl each and RCB pinned their slim hopes on them. But what followed was just terrible batting by both Butler and Rutherford. The West Indians pulled off Bhuvneshwar with a massive six and Butler followed it up with two fabulous sixes off Hazlewood to pretty much sum up the night for the home side. Rutherford then hit three sixes from another pull-over to send the ball over the ropes to seal the win.