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Sai Sudharsan showed a scintillating performance for Gujarat Titans, steadying the innings with a elegant innings of 82 runs off a mere 51 deliveries. His temperament under pressure and unadulterated strokeplay created a strong foundation to GT's total of 217. Sudharsan's strike rotation and his timely injection of speed took him to the game's leading batsman. His effort was vital in GT's 58-run victory over Rajasthan Royals, for which he deservedly received the Man of the Match award.
Sai Sudharsan played a match-winning innings which set the stage for Gujarat Titans' record score in the perfect manner. Opening batsman Sudharsan employed a mix of solidity and aggression, rotating strike with ease and taking revenge on poor bowling. His capacity to milk the game and change gears at the right moments was proof of his maturing as a top-order batsman. His 82 off 51 balls was a union of classy timing and clever shot selection, and he was the better player of the match.
Even in a lost battle, Shimron Hetmyer was a Rajasthan Royals warrior. Pressure batting came and just kept the scoreboard turning with some authoritative blows and composed demeanor. His 32-ball 52 included some first-rate boundary-hitting and got RR back into the contest during the middle overs. From here on, Hetmyer's batting will be a massive arsenal for the Royals.
Prasidh Krishna was persistent with the ball, offering Gujarat key breaks in the middle of the game. His speed and accuracy, coupled with his capability to pitch the ball in the correct areas, troubled Rajasthan batsmen. Giving away only 3/24 of his total share of overs, Prasidh halted RR's scoring and maintained GT's hold.
Sai Kishore's spell was brief but incredibly powerful. He shattered the lower order with sensible bowling and took advantage of the conditions. His 2 wickets for 20 runs off 2.2 overs aided Gujarat Titans to finish the game easily, in the process handing a comfortable victory. His performance in winning the game was remarkable and demonstrated the prowess of GT's bowling department.
Gujarat Titans initiated an insurmountable batting test during the first innings, as the innings came rooted on an epic innings from Sai Sudharsan by an unhurried 82 out of 51 deliveries. He orchestrated his innings to the inch, putting everything into motion as early as he could, coming good towards the middle overs. Shahrukh Khan later propelled the eagerly anticipated pace with his blazing 36 off just 20 balls, as did Jos Buttler lend his strong 36 off 25 balls to inject invaluable runs into the score card.
In bowling, Rajasthan Royals were unable to restrict the flow of runs but captured some important wickets. Theekshana and Tushar Deshpande were major wicket-hunters who had two scalps but went for a lot in their spells. Jofra Archer played nicely placed rhythm while bowling and came back with stingy economic yields of 1/30, proving his value in powerplay and death overs.
Overall, Gujarat Titans managed to put up a fighting score, with a good show by their top and middle order.
Pursuing a tough target, Rajasthan Royals put up some fight in their second innings but failed in the end. Shimron Hetmyer was the best performer with a good unbeaten 52 off 32 balls, fighting till the end. Sanju Samson gave good support at the beginning with a smooth 41 off 28 deliveries, while Riyan Parag contributed a blazing 26 off mere 14 balls, picking up momentum in the middle overs.
But the Gujarat Titans' bowlers were in tight knit during the entire innings. Prasidh Krishna was exceptional with the ball, taking 3 wickets for a mere 24 runs and shattering the Royals' top-order backbone. Sai Kishore was tight and took amazing figures of 2/20, piling pressure during the all-important middle overs. Rashid Khan, as usual, was a go-to asset with his variations, taking 2/37 and never letting the batters get settled.
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