Rajasthan Royals defeated Gujarat Titans by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Just when the game seemed to have slipped from the reach of the Riyan Parag-led side, Jofra Archer pulled back the strings in the penultimate over, conceding only four runs. In the final over, Gujarat needed 11 runs to get the job done, but Tushar Deshpande bowled a spectacular over, ensuring a win for Rajasthan.ย
Chasing 211 runs, the hosts were off to a flying start as Sai Sudharsan dictated the proceedings. The 24-year-old made 73 runs off 44 balls to set the platform but didnโt ensure a win in Gujaratโs favour. Their middle order once again flopped to bail the team out, before Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada launched a scathing attack in the middle.ย
Rajasthan were in the hunt and seemed the favourite for the majority phase, but Rashid and Rabada were too hot to handle. Thatโs when Parag introduced Archer into the attack and that changed the complexion of the game. However, the bigger call was to hand the ball to Deshpande. Sandeep Sharma and Nandre Burger had one over remaining, but Parag trusted Deshpande, who was phenomenal in the final over and was over the moon after getting the job done.
In the meantime, Ravi Bishnoiโs contribution canโt be ignored. The star spinner claimed four wickets and dismantled Gujaratโs middle order to put them under immense pressure.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhurv Jurel set the platform
Earlier in the day, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal stitched an excellent 70-run partnership for Rajasthan. Jaiswal went to score 55 runs off 36 balls and after his dismissal, Dhruv Jurel took over the business, adding 75 runs off 42 balls. Courtesy of his brilliant batting, Rajasthan posted 210 runs on the board in the first innings.
Gujarat, on the other hand, missed the service of Shubman Gill tonight. Had the captain played, the hosts could have closed the game but cricket isnโt about ifs and buts. Rajasthan have now registered two back-to-back wins and are at the top of the points table, while Gujarat are seventh with two consecutive defeats.