Siraj, Sai Kishore, Buttler blow RCB away

Royal Challengers Bengaluru were handed their first defeat of the season following a clinical display from Gujarat Titans at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday (April 2). A former RCB man was at the forefront of their defeat as Mohammed Siraj set up Titans' win with a terrific spell of bowling that was backed up by a belligerent bit of batting, led by Jos Buttler as the visitors won comfortably byeight wicketswith 13 balls to spare.

Where was the match won?

The difference in the amount of runs scored by both teams in the powerplay was just four. However, RCB lost two crucial extra wickets than Titans did and that eventually proved to be their undoing. RCB made just 38 for 3 in the powerplay from which they didn't recover for the major part of their innings. Titans lost their skipper Shubman Gill in the same phase but apart from his wicket, they remained solid and in control for large portions of the phase which paved the way for a big win.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

PowerPlay - Siraj returns to haunt RCB

Phase score - 38/3 [RR: 6.33, 4s/6s: 4/1]

It was a start not many had anticipated. Siraj was bang on the money right from the start despite the fact that Virat Kohli drove him for a lovely boundary off just the second delivery. He should have had Phil Salt in the first over but Buttler dropped a regulation chance. However, he was relentless and managed to strike in his next over with a delivery that nipped back in sharply to shatter Devdutt Padikkal's stumps. Before that though, RCB were stung at the other end when Arshad Khan got the big fish when Kohli timed one straight to the fielder at deep backward square leg. The powerplay still belonged to Siraj though as he was given a third straight over by Gill. While Salt did break the shackles with a mammoth 105metre six, Siraj stormed back in style with a fuller delivery that just rattled the stumps. The surface certainly had something for the pacers as Prasidh Krishna managed to move the ball off the deck in his first over as well to round off the powerplay in fine fashion.

Middle overs - Sai Kishore keeps Titans on top

Phase score - 67/3 [RR: 7.44, 4s/6s: 8/2]

Ishant Sharma, handed the ball immediately after the conclusion of the sixth over, bowled a fuller delivery to get creamed for a boundary by RCB's skipper Rajat Patidar. But the veteran immediately rectified the error and pulled his length back a touch to trap Patidar plumb in front to pile more misery on the home team. Post that, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma steadied the ship with a useful partnership. Jitesh was severe against Ishant as he picked him for a couple of fours and a six in a single over to take him out of the attack. Titans then bowled both Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan in tandem and even though the Afghanistan spinner was surprisingly expensive, the left-arm spinner helped his side wrest control. Rahul Tewatia, who dropped a catch in Sai Kishore's earlier over, held on to a chance from Jitesh this time. While Livingstone continued to thrive on some luck after Jos Buttler fumbled for the second time on the night, Sai Kishore bowled a well disguised carrom ball to account for Krunal Pandya's wicket.

Death overs - Livingstone, David provide the spark

Phase score - 64/2 [RR: 12.8, 4s/6s: 3/6]

An innings that was going nowhere especially after Sai Kishore's twin strikes sparked to life after Livingstone took a liking to Rashid's bowling. He hammered him for a six in his penultimate over but it was the final over that really hurt the Titans. Sai Kishore misjudged a catching opportunity near the boundary with the ball going over the ropes and Livingstone cashed in to smash two more deliveries over the ropes to provide plenty of cheer for the RCB faithful. In the process, he also brought up a fighting fifty. While Siraj came back to bowl an excellent over to round off his night with Livingstone's wicket, Prasidh was taken apart for 4,6,4 by Tim David as the score suddenly was on the brink of going past 170. Prasidh then cleaned up David with an inch perfect yorker of the final delivery as RCB finished with 169 - a total that looked unlikely by the end of the 15th over.

Gujarat Titans

PowerPlay - Titans get off to a solid start

Phase score - 42/1 [RR: 7, 4s/6s: 3/2]

Given the purchase the Titans pacers found with the new ball, the challenge for Gill and Sai Sudharsan was always going to be against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood in the powerplay. Nothing much happened in the opening three overs before Sudharsan stunned Hazlewood with a ramp that went all the way before following it up with the most perfect straight drive for a four. With a little bit of momentum, Gill smashed Bhvuneshwar for a massive six but in his attempt to repeat the shot off the very next ball, he perished after mistiming the ball. Titans finished the powerplay with 42/1 which was by no means extravagant but it was enough given there wasn't a lot of damage after negating five overs of Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood.

Middle overs - Titans in cruise control

Phase score - 92/1 [RR: 10.22, 4s/6s: 10/5]

Post the powerplay, it was just one-way traffic. Rasikh Salam was welcomed into the attack with a boundary each from Sudharsan and Buttler before the former England captain took on the young pacer yet again in an over that went for 18 runs. Sudharsan, who looked composed, pulled Krunal for a boundary and added two more boundaries off the left-arm spinner to stamp his authority. Just when Titans were running away with the game, Hazlewood returned to dismiss Sudharsan who failed in his attempt to make a clean connection to another ramp. That didn't deter Buttler though as he raced to his fifty with a four and a six off Livingstone whereas Sherfane Rutherford at the other end made a good start as well.

Death overs - A breezy finish

Phase score - 36/0 [RR: 12.72, 4s/6s: 1/4]

The chase was well and truly in GT's control when the equation came down to 29 off 24 with. At that point, Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood had an over each left to bowl with RCB pinning their faintest of hopes on them. However, what followed suit was just terrific batting from both Buttler and Rutherford. The West Indian pulled Bhuvneshwar for a massive six and Buttler followed it up with two outrageous sixes off Hazlewood that pretty much summed up the night for the home side. Rutherford then made it three sixes from the over with another pull to send the ball over the ropes to seal the win.

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru169/8 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 54; Mohammed Siraj 3/19, Sai Kishore 2/22) lost to Gujarat Titans 170/2 in 17.5 overs (Jos Buttler 73*, Sai Sudharsan 49) by 8 wickets

What's next for these two teams?

Two wins on the trot would give Titans a lot of confidence going into their next game against SRH in Hyderabad. RCB will have a four day break before they travel to Mumbai for another away game.