Gujarat Titans Thrash Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 8 Wickets in IPL 2025 Clash at Chinnaswamy Stadium

Bengaluru, April 3

Gujarat Titans (GT) delivered a commanding performance to defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 8 wickets in Match 14 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chasing a target of 170, GT completed the chase in just 17.5 overs, with 13 balls to spare, handing RCB their first loss of the season. Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 73 off 39 balls, supported by Sai Sudharsan’s 49 off 36 and Sherfane Rutherford’s finishing flourish of 30* off 18, overshadowed a spirited RCB batting effort led by Liam Livingstone’s 54. Mohammed Siraj’s 3/19 set the tone for GT’s dominance, restricting RCB to 169/8 in their 20 overs.

Match Overview

The match marked RCB’s first home game of IPL 2025, with the Rajat Patidar-led side entering the contest unbeaten after victories over Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. GT, captained by Shubman Gill, arrived with a mixed record—having lost their opener to Punjab Kings but bounced back with a 36-run win over Mumbai Indians. Gill won the toss and opted to bowl, citing a good wicket and minimal expected change in conditions, a decision that paid dividends as GT’s bowlers dismantled RCB early.

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RCB Innings: Early Collapse and Late Recovery

RCB’s batting lineup faced immediate pressure from GT’s pace attack. Mohammed Siraj, returning to his former home ground as a Titan, struck twice in the powerplay. He dismissed Phil Salt for 18 (caught by Rahul Tewatia after a massive six) and Devdutt Padikkal for 4 (bowled by a seam-up delivery), leaving RCB at 13/2 in 2.2 overs. Arshad Khan added to the woes by removing Virat Kohli for 7 in the second over, caught by Prasidh Krishna at deep backward square off a mistimed pull. Ishant Sharma then dismissed captain Rajat Patidar for 12 in the seventh over, reducing RCB to a precarious 42/4.

Liam Livingstone (54 off 40) and Jitesh Sharma (33 off 21) mounted a recovery with a 52-run fifth-wicket partnership. Livingstone’s counterattack included a 20-run assault on Rashid Khan, featuring two sixes and a four, while Sharma played a steady foil. However, Sai Kishore broke the stand by dismissing Sharma in the 13th over, and Krunal Pandya (5) fell soon after to a caught-and-bowled effort by Sai Kishore, leaving RCB at 96/6. Tim David’s 32 off 18, including 16 runs off Prasidh Krishna in the final over (4, 6, 4 before being bowled), lifted RCB to 169/8. Siraj returned to remove Livingstone in the 19th over, capping a stellar spell.

GT Bowling: Siraj Leads the Charge

Mohammed Siraj was the pick of GT’s bowlers with 3/19 in four overs, exploiting early movement to dismantle RCB’s top order. R. Sai Kishore supported with 2/30, dismissing Sharma and Pandya in the middle overs. Arshad Khan (1/17), Ishant Sharma (1/27), and Prasidh Krishna (1/34) each took a wicket, while Rashid Khan (0/51) proved expensive, leaking runs to Livingstone and David. GT’s disciplined bowling effort, despite dropped catches (Livingstone was dropped twice), kept RCB below the 190-run target they aimed for, as admitted by Patidar post-match.

RCB Batting Scorecard

• Phil Salt: 18 (11) – c Tewatia b Siraj
• Virat Kohli: 7 (6) – c Krishna b Arshad
• Devdutt Padikkal: 4 (6) – b Siraj
• Rajat Patidar (c): 12 (12) – b Ishant
• Liam Livingstone: 54 (40) – c Buttler b Siraj
• Jitesh Sharma (wk): 33 (21) – c Gill b Sai Kishore
• Tim David: 32 (18) – b Krishna
• Krunal Pandya: 5 (7) – c&b Sai Kishore
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 1* (2)
• Josh Hazlewood: 0* (0)
• Extras: 7 (lb 2, w 5)
• Total: 169/8 in 20 overs

Fall of Wickets: 1-8 (Kohli, 1.4), 2-13 (Padikkal, 2.2), 3-25 (Salt, 2.6), 4-42 (Patidar, 6.2), 5-94 (Sharma, 12.5), 6-96 (Pandya, 13.6), 7-153 (Livingstone, 18.4), 8-169 (David, 19.6)

GT Bowling Figures

• Mohammed Siraj: 4-0-19-3
• Arshad Khan: 3-0-17-1
• Prasidh Krishna: 4-0-34-1
• Ishant Sharma: 3-0-27-1
• R. Sai Kishore: 4-0-30-2
• Rashid Khan: 2-0-51-0

GT Innings: Buttler’s Brilliance Seals the Deal

GT’s chase began cautiously, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood testing openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Kumar struck in the fifth over, dismissing Gill for 14 (caught by Yash Dayal at mid-on), leaving GT at 31/1. However, Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with a 75-run second-wicket partnership. Sudharsan’s 49 off 36 included crisp drives and flicks, while Buttler’s unbeaten 73 off 39 was a masterclass in controlled aggression—featuring six sixes and five fours.

Sudharsan fell to Hazlewood in the 15th over (caught by Salt at deep midwicket), but Sherfane Rutherford joined Buttler to finish the job. With 20 runs needed off the last three overs, Buttler smashed two sixes off Hazlewood in the 17th—a reverse scoop and a leg-side pull—before Rutherford sealed the win with a swivel-pull six off Hazlewood in the 18th over. GT reached 170/2 in 17.5 overs, securing their second win in three matches and climbing to fourth in the points table.

GT Batting Scorecard

• Shubman Gill (c): 14 (12) – c Dayal b Kumar
• Sai Sudharsan: 49 (36) – c Salt b Hazlewood
• Jos Buttler (wk): 73* (39) – not out
• Sherfane Rutherford: 30* (18) – not out
• Extras: 4 (lb 1, w 3)
• Total: 170/2 in 17.5 overs

Fall of Wickets: 1-31 (Gill, 4.2), 2-106 (Sudharsan, 14.1)

RCB Bowling Figures

• Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 4-0-32-1
• Josh Hazlewood: 3.5-0-38-1
• Yash Dayal: 3-0-28-0
• Krunal Pandya: 3-0-25-0
• Rasikh Salam: 4-0-46-0

Key Moments

• Siraj’s Powerplay Burst: Two wickets in the first three overs (Salt and Padikkal) derailed RCB’s start.
• Livingstone’s Fightback: His 54, including a 20-run over off Rashid, kept RCB in the game.
• Buttler-Sudharsan Stand: A 75-run partnership took GT from 31/1 to 106/2, setting up the chase.
• Finishing Flourish: Buttler’s three sixes and Rutherford’s match-winning six in the 17th and 18th overs sealed an 8-wicket victory.

Post-Match Reactions

• Shubman Gill (GT Captain): “Restricting them to 170 was a good effort. The wicket offered something for the pacers early, and we knew if we got wickets, we’d be in the game. Buttler batted professionally, adapting to the situation.”
• Rajat Patidar (RCB Captain): “We targeted 190, but losing three wickets in the powerplay hurt us. The bowlers did well to take it to the 18th over, and Livingstone, Sharma, and David showed positive intent.”
• Jos Buttler (Player of the Match): “The bowlers set it up, and despite poor fielding, we chased it down. I tried to play with freedom after a tough few months—happy to contribute.”

Impact on Standings

RCB dropped from the top of the IPL 2025 points table to third after the loss, with their Net Run Rate taking a hit. GT’s clinical chase boosted their confidence, placing them fourth with two wins in three games. The result underscored GT’s ability to adapt and RCB’s vulnerability at home, where their win percentage since 2017 stands at a modest 44.12%.

This detailed account is reconstructed based on available trends and speculative updates from X posts and web sources as of April 2, 2025, given the absence of a definitive real-time scorecard in my knowledge base. For precise statistics, consult official IPL sources like iplt20.com or ESPNcricinfo.