IPL 2025: Sudharsan, Bowlers Power GT to 58-Run Win Over RR, Claim Top Spot

B. Sai Sudharsan continued his good run of form during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with a brilliant 82-run knock, and quick bowler Prasidh Krishna's 3/24 kill shot facilitated Gujarat Titans winning the game with a strong 58-run win over Rajasthan Royals in Match 23 at Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.

Batting first on a red-soil pitch that provided some pace and bounce, Sudharsan produced a masterclass in strokeplay and creativity. His 53-ball knock contained eight sharp boundaries and three huge sixes, most of his runs being scored on the off-side. The left-handed batsman's elegant strokeplay enabled him to build crucial partnerships of 80 and 62 with Jos Buttler and Shahrukh Khan, who also contributed handy 36s.

Rahul Tewatia's late fireworks and Rashid Khan's fireworks later in the innings propelled GT to a massive total of 217/6. RR then crumbled under pressure and collapsed for 159 in 19.2 overs, despite Shimron Hetmyer (52), Sanju Samson (41), and Riyan Parag (26) showing some resistance. Gujarat's fourth win on the trot now has them nicely placed at the top of the points table.

Express bowler Jofra Archer displayed his speed by reaching 152.3 kmph in his spell. He almost got rid of Sudharsan early with a top-edged pull, but the latter came back and drilled Fazalhaq Farooqi through the off-side for two boundaries. Archer retaliated by knocking over Shubman Gill with a 148 kmph rocket that breached his defenses, getting him out for just two.

Buttler retaliated with a fierce drive off Archer and then Sudharsan set the powerplay ablaze with ramp shots and laps off Farooqi and Tushar Deshpande, picking two sixes in succession. His classy strokeplay resumed with a regal straight drive and late cut off Deshpande, taking GT to 56/1 after six overs.

Buttler maintained his good touch with creative scoops and strong pulls off Farooqi and then finished it off with a dominant backfoot punch over Maheesh Theekshana's head. Following a slog-sweep for four, Sudharsan completed his half-century in 32 balls. Theekshana finally got rid of Buttler, lbw for 36.

With the momentum going their way, Shahrukh Khan fired a series of boundaries, putting Farooqi and Deshpande to sword with lofted drives and edges. But he was stumped off 36 after being out on a wide ball by Theekshana. Sandeep Sharma later bowled out Sherfane Rutherford at a cheap rate, and Sudharsan too soon followed, edging behind off Deshpande for an excellent 82—having escaped a dropped catch on 81.

Deshpande got his second, ousting Rashid Khan with the last ball of his spell. GT had already passed 200 by that time, and Tewatia topped it off with a late flurry of runs that featured two boundaries and one six.

Chasing the large total, Gujarat's bowlers were clinical from the beginning. Arshad Khan caught Yashasvi Jaiswal at deep third, and Mohammed Siraj removed Nitish Rana with a well-targeted bouncer. Riyan Parag gave a glimmer of hope by hitting Siraj for a six, and Samson played a couple of beautiful shots against Arshad.

Parag and Samson then pressed the counterattack, hitting Krishna for a six and four respectively as RR finished powerplay at 57/2. But Parag was out in no time, edging behind off impact sub Kulwant Khejroliya for 26.

Rashid Khan joined the party after getting rid of Dhruv Jurel, who lost his pull shot and holed out to deep mid-wicket. Samson and Hetmyer attempted a comeback, with the latter belting Rashid for three boundaries and then contributing to plunder 16 runs from Khejroliya's over.

But Krishna came back to shatter the stand, taking additional bounce to bring about an edge from Samson, who left for 41. Rashid then had Shubham Dubey leg-before for one, taking RR to the doorstep. Hetmyer, who was dropped twice in his battling innings, scored his fifty in 29 balls with a straight drive off Krishna at extra cover.

But Krishna dashed RR's hopes by getting rid of both Archer and Hetmyer in the same over. Hetmyer went for 52 after pulling off deep backward square, and R Sai Kishore mopped up the tail to seal a clinical victory for the Titans.