Gujarat Titans will have a second crack at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in less than a week, at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Thursday.
And this time, the Titans will hope for a reversal in fortunes after having lost the previous encounter by five wickets as RCB chased 206 with ease.
Shubman Gill & Co. come into the contest after a thumping eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings that averted a third straight loss. It was fashioned by a fine bowling effort, led by Kagiso Rabada (three for 25), and some solid batting.
It is however a fact that GT is heavily dependent on its top-three of B. Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler, who bat a lion’s share of the overs.
There is no mistaking their quality, but they have so far proved to be more accumulators than ransackers. The line-up is like a simmering volcano that threatens to erupt but doesn’t follow through on the promise. GT’s highest total this season is 210; every other side, apart from Lucknow Super Giants, has scored more.
Against RCB, a team that pursues totals in the vicinity of 200 like it’s child’s play, GT can ill-afford to bide its time. Even without Phil Salt, who missed the last two games, the defending champion strikes the same fear, for it has the equally marauding Jacob Bethell.
And versus Delhi Capitals most recently, the RCB bowlers showed what devastation they can cause, dismissing Axar Patel’s men for a paltry 75.
READ | Pitch perfect Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar show how to restore IPL’s bat-ball balance
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, 36 and 35 respectively, scalped seven wickets between them and gave away just 17 runs. Ageing – in sporting terms – is generally associated with physical decline and a slight dulling of the senses, but not for these two.
On a lively surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar claimed seven wickets between them and bundled out Delhi Capitals for 75. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
On a lively surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar claimed seven wickets between them and bundled out Delhi Capitals for 75. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
However, as the table-topping Punjab Kings found out in its six-wicket reverse to Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, momentum has limited currency in T20 cricket. Can RCB prove otherwise?
Published on Apr 29, 2026