GT vs RR: Gujarat beat Rajasthan in Ahmedabad, Hetmyer's storm faded in front of Sudarshan; won the match by 58 runs
Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans (GT) secured their fourth consecutive win of the season as they grew their momentum with this win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
They were able to take the top spot in the points standings after defeating the 2008 winners. The Royals, who entered this match having won consecutive games, have been stopped in their tracks, and the loss margin further reduces their already poor net run rate.
Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag joined forces to deliver a strong counterpunch after their side lost a few early wickets and got off to a less than ideal start. As it frequently occurs, one came two, and just when the momentum was about to change, a controversial caught-behind ruling against Parag turned it back in GT's favor.
Shimron Hetmyer became Samson's comrade as they attempted to rebuild, but the RR skipper perished just as their alliance was beginning to take hold.
The Titans then turned things around once again, leaving Hetmyer to fight alone with minimal assistance from the opposite end. The final nail in the coffin was his dismissal, which allowed Gujarat to win handily.
Rashid Khan's return to form with the ball will surely be one of the Titans' main positives. On the other hand, RR believes they will need to improve going forward after giving up up to 17 runs in wides.
English seamer Jofra Archer set the tone early for RR with a blistering opening spell after Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bowl first. The duo of Sai Sudharsan & Jos Buttler persevered in creating a strong platform in spite of the early heat.
Sai's calm knock of 82 runs dominated the innings, as the Titans posted 217 thanks to quick cameos from Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan. With the exception of Archer, the rest of the assault was taken to the cleaners, thus RR felt the loss of Wanindu Hasaranga, who was absent for personal reasons.