RR vs GT Match 52 Results

6:21 PM IST Rashid spins GT to victory - With RR needing to pull off their highest successful run chase in IPL history, they were in search of a strong Powerplay. The start was promising, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi imposing himself on the GT new-ball attack before his stay was cut short. RR lost a couple more wickets, but still managed to score 78 runs in the Powerplay. It was all about keeping the required run rate in check, but Rashid Khan made use of whatever minimal help was on offer and dented RR through the middle phase with regular strikes. The chase kept drifting away from the home side, who could not even bat out their full 20 overs, with Jason Holder completing the mop-up job.

6:17 PM IST A dominant win for the Titans - Gujarat make it four wins in a row as they continue their climb up the ladder. With this victory, they move from 5th to 2nd on the table with 7 wins in 11 games. This 77-run win is Gujarat's biggest in the IPL in terms of runs. While GT seem to be peaking at just the right time, the Rajasthan Royals appear to be losing steam at the wrong stage of the tournament. After beginning the campaign with 4 wins on the bounce, RR have managed just 2 victories in the 7 games since, and their net run rate has also taken a hit with this heavy defeat.

6:15 PM IST The openers laid the foundation - With Riyan Parag absent due to a hamstring issue, the Royals were led by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who opted to bowl first. Jofra Archer was all over the place with his lines and lengths, and as a unit, the rest of the attack could not quite pick up the slack either. The Gujarat openers cashed in to set the innings up brilliantly with a 118-run opening stand. Shubman Gill battled through what seemed like an Achilles issue and still went on to score 84, while Sai Sudharsan chipped in with a well-made 55. Washington Sundar looked busy at the crease, and even though RR did threaten to deny GT the desired finish, a 21-run final over meant the tourists got up to 229. Coming off a break, the rustiness was evident from Rajasthan, who conceded 19 extras.

6:14 PM IST A quick chat with Kagiso Rabada - Rabada says everyone in the group is determined and fully committed, adding that his focus remains on performing his role to the best of his ability. He praises the bowling unit for working together well and pushing in the same direction as a collective. Speaking about bowling to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, he says the methods that have worked for him over the last 11 years continue to hold strong. He mentions the amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into analysing batters and identifying weaknesses, but stresses that execution still comes down to backing his strengths and sticking to his plans. On managing workload late in the season, he says his body feels good, though mental fatigue can become a challenge at this stage of a long tournament. He adds that staying mentally fresh and maintaining professionalism becomes even more important towards the business end of the competition. Talking about variations and slower balls, he explains that he tries not to focus excessively on developing too many variations as it can distract from the core aspects of his bowling. While he hasn’t relied heavily on slower deliveries this season, he remains confident enough to use them whenever the situation demands.

6:09 PM IST The captain of the Gujarat Titans - Shubman Gill says the discussion within the group before this game was that they had still not played a perfect match this season, and he felt this performance came closest to being that complete game. Feels the team ended up scoring around 10-15 runs above par and pointed out that there was a little bit in the surface for the spinners during the middle phase. Speaking about GT's bowling approach, Shubman says the side believes strongly in holding the fort upfront because early wickets give the bowlers more freedom to attack during the middle overs. On his injury scare while batting, Gill reveals that he twisted his ankle, but it settled down after about half an hour.

6:08 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH -  Rashid Khan gets the award for his stellar bowling display. He finished with figures of 4/33 from his 4 overs, including 12 dot balls. He says he is pleased with his consistency this season after two difficult years, adding that regaining rhythm after injury was challenging initially, but his focus now is simply on hitting the right areas and lengths consistently, which he believes naturally creates wicket-taking opportunities. He also highlights the importance of having experienced players in the squad, especially those familiar with Indian conditions, while sharing his own international experience with younger teammates. Speaking about modern cricket, Rashid mentions that variations have become essential and praises Sai Kishore for developing new skills, including the wrong ’un.