Gujarat Titans 217 for 6 (Sudharsan 82, Buttler 36, Shahrukh 36, Deshpande 2-53, Theekshana 2-54) vs Rajasthan Royals
B Sai Sudharsan scored yet another half-century, this time 82 off 53 balls, and helped Gujarat Titans (GT) post a healthy 217 for 6 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Ahmedabad. Speaking to the broadcaster at the innings break, he said it was a good total, given there had not been much dew until then.
Earlier, after RR sent GT in, Jofra Archer once again gave his side an early breakthrough. In RR's previous game, he had bowled Punjab Kings' Priyansh Arya first ball. Tonight, he pegged back Shubman Gill's off stump with the first ball of his second over.
But Sai Sudharsan carried on with his sublime form. He ramped, scooped, drove and cut, and steered his side to 50 in 5.1 overs. At the end of the powerplay, he was batting on 39 off 22. Only Wriddhiman Saha (54 vs Lucknow Super Giants in 2023) has scored more runs for GT in an innings in that phase.
Jos Buttler, who was welcomed to the crease with a nasty bouncer from Archer, also joined in after a slow start. He was on 12 off 13 at one point but hit four fours in his next six balls to move to 31 off 19.
Maheesh Theekshana ended the 80-run second-wicket stand, off 47 balls, by trapping Buttler lbw. But M Shahrukh Khan smashed 36 off 20 to keep GT going.
Sudharsan was dropped on 81 by Shubham Dubey off Archer but he could add only one more to his score. But Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan ensured GT ransacked 30 from the last two overs.