It was a comprehensive victory for defending champions Gujrat Titans when they squared off against Rajasthan Royals in a repeat of last year’s final. Hardik Pandya’s side, who were beaten in the reverse fixture earlier this season, avenged their loss with a resounding nine-wicket victory to solidify their position at the top of the IPL 2023 points table.
The home side, led by Sanju Samson, batted first in the contest after their skipper called it right at the toss. However, they were off to a rocky start after losing Jos Buttler in the second over of the match. Despite that wicket, the Men in Pink were in the driver’s seat in the powerplay thanks to Samson’s rollicking cameo with the bat.
But their innings went into a tailspin after the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal and his skipper in quick succession. It was the Rashid Khan show from thereon as the star Afghan spinner spun a web around the hosts’ batters. His inspired bowling performance coupled with an all-round display by the rest of the bowlers restricted the home side to a modest total of 118 runs.
Hardik Pandya makes a mockery of the chase with his ballistic innings
Coming to the chase, the defending champions did not need to do anything fancy, and the openers ensured the same by stitching a brisk partnership for the opening wicket. Although the visitors lost Shubman Gill in the tenth over, they never looked flustered in the chase, especially after skipper Hardik Pandya made it his job to finish the game early.
He took Adam Zampa to the cleaners, smashing him four consecutive boundaries in an over. It was veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha who hit the winning runs for his side, making it the biggest victory for any side against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.