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GT vs RCB, IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Beat Gujarat Titans By 9 Wickets

By Yajati Keshari Rout
31

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) overhauled a target of 201 against the Gujarat Titans (GT) to record their third win in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The match was headlined by an explosive century by Will Jacks during the run-chase and another dependable performance by Virat Kohli.

Up against a target of 201, RCB started well with Faf du Plessis providing the charge in the powerplay. During his innings of 24, he hit three sixes, but in the fourth over, he holed out to deep mid-wicket off Sai Kishore. That brought Jacks to the crease, and there began the unbeaten 166-run match-winning partnership.

Early in the partnership, Kohli was the more dominant scorer – as he found the boundaries at regular intervals. In comparison, Jacks wasn’t finding it very easy against the GT spinners. Kohli got to his fifty off 31 balls just as RCB got to 98 in 10 overs. Kohli’s innings was typical of him – full of class and balance. RCB looked well on course, and one may have felt the match could go into the slog overs.

However, that is when Jacks came to the party. When Mohit Sharma came on to bowl the 10th over, Jacks broke the shackles and smashed it over mid-wicket for a six. He then followed it up with a four over the off-side. In the next over, Kohli hit Noor Ahmad for a six and four.

Thereafter, it was dominated by Jacks, who got most of the strike and was intent on finishing the match on his own. At one stage, a Kohli century looked most likely and at the end of 12 overs, Jacks was only on 29. In the next couple of overs, he reduced the gap with Kohli as he reached 44 by the end of 14 overs. RCB needed 53 off the last six overs.

In the 15th over, bowled by Mohit, Jacks smashed it through the leg-side to pick up three sixes and two fours in a 29-run over. In the process he got to his half-century – ultimately finishing on 72 at the end of the over. Rashid Khan was brought in to bowl the 16th over and off the first ball, Kohli picked a single to get his 500th run of the season. Jacks then peppered the leg-side boundary in an exhilarating exhibition of batting against a world-class bowler. Jacks hit a two sixes followed by a four and six to level the scores.

Going into the last ball of the over, RCB needed one run and Jacks was on 94. Victory was achieved in great style as Jacks swung it over mid-wicket for a six. That also brought up a mind-boggling century off 41 balls and won the game with four overs to spare. It was a performance RCB fans would remember for a long time.

Earlier in the day, on a warm afternoon, du Plessis won the toss and chose to bowl. GT’s innings was spearheaded by B Sai Sudharsan’s knock of 84 not out and was given the impetus by Shahrukh Khan’s impactful 58 in the middle. Thanks to those contributions, GT touched 200 – a feat they achieved last season in both their afternoon home games.

GT had a difficult start to their innings when they lost Wriddhiman Saha in the very first over. Saha tried to hit Swapnil Singh over the off-side but got an edge to Karn Sharma at short third-man. Sudharsan and Shubman Gill built the innings steadily and got past the powerplay at 42 for one. However, in an attempt to up the ante, Gill lost his wicket off Glenn Maxwell’s bowling as he tried to go over long-on, but was brilliantly caught by Cameron Green in the deep.

Shahrukh was promoted to No. 4 and delivered an important knock. Shahrukh and Sudharsan put on 86 off only 45 balls – helping GT push on after a tough start. It was an important partnership that combined the grace and finesse of Sudharsan and the power of Shahrukh.

Shahrukh’s innings injected life into the GT camp as he raced away to his maiden fifty in the TATA IPL off only 24 balls. It was a power-packed innings with three fours and five sixes. However, it came to an end when Mohammad Siraj bowled a great yorker to dismiss him in the 15th over.

David Miller joined Sudharsan, and in tandem, they took GT to 200. Sudharsan got to his fifty with a four off Siraj soon after Shahrukh’s dismissal. He moved into the 80s in the slog overs as GT kept their eyes on the 200 mark.

It was Sudharsan who had dominated the scoring in that phase. Miller provided the finishing touch with a six off the last ball to take GT to exactly 200 – a good score in general at Ahmedabad but not when one is up against a determined Kohli and a combative Jacks.

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