On April 2 2025 the Gujarat Titans (GT) won the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by eight wickets at the Indian Premier League (IPL). GT secured their victory at M Chinnaswamy Stadium through the exceptional talent of both Mohammed Siraj and Jos Buttler.
RCB's Innings: Early Setbacks and Middle-Order Resistance :
The start of RCB's batting performance was unstable. GT seized their opportunity to take wickets after Salt had a lucky break when Buttler dropped him in the first over then dismissed Virat Kohli for a score of seven runs. Kohli fell to a short delivery from Arshad Khan that produced a deep-hit leading to a critical early dismissal.
Through his fiery spell Mohammed Siraj removed Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal while RCB found themselves at 42-4 by the seventh over. Siraj dominated RCB batsmen with a bowling performance that resulted in three wickets and nineteen runs scored.
Liam Livingstone provided RCB with their only bright spot when the team suffered an early collapse. Livingstone survived a tight lbw decision while being dropped on nine before he built a crucial 54-run innings. During the 18th over against Rashid Khan Livingstone demonstrated his aggressive style by hitting three powerful sixes which helped RCB gather a better score.
The fifth-wicket pairing between Livingstone and Sharma successfully accumulated 52 runs before Jitesh Sharma smashed 33 off twenty-one deliveries. Tim David finished the innings by smashing 32 runs from 18 balls which helped Royal Challengers Bangalore achieve 169-8 in their twenty overs.
Liam Livingstone provided RCB with their only bright spot when the team suffered an early collapse. Livingstone survived a tight lbw decision while being dropped on nine before he built a crucial 54-run innings. During the 18th over against Rashid Khan Livingstone demonstrated his aggressive style by hitting three powerful sixes which helped RCB gather a better score.
GT's Chase :
Buttler led GT's successful chase through his remarkable play and strong team partnerships
During the chase of 170 Jos Buttler led GT's batting performance with his powerful hitting abilities. Buttler finished the inning without getting out while scoring 73 runs off 39 balls through a combination of powerful play and skillful stroke making. The 15th over became memorable for Buttler as he smashed a six over the boundary while reaching his half-century before continuing his mastery of the opposing bowlers.
The innings was enhanced by Sai Sudharsan who almost scored a half-century through his thoughtful 49-run performance. The alliance between the players provided GT with an essential platform from which to work. Sherfane Rutherford finished the match for GT by scoring 30 runs without getting out from his 19 balls which allowed the team to win with 13 balls remaining.
Post-Match Reflections :
Buttler praised the bowlers for their strong showing in the match while admitting that improved fielding could have cut down the opponents' score even more. The team's clinical behavior pleased him before he stated his plan to approach the game with freedom and purpose following difficult months in his cricket career. He played with both freedom and intention because he wanted to make significant contributions toward team success.
In the match Mohammed Siraj carried personal meaning because he had spent seven years with the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise previously. Siraj managed to silence his early-stage jitters and prove his worth through an outstanding bowling display against his previous RCB teammates. Siraj showed a variety of feelings about his match performance against RCB while stressing that he would give his best at any stadium. The approach emphasized self-belief together with intensity according to him.
Implications for the Season :
The match victory became RCB's inaugural season loss because their fielding strategy and early innings response needed development. GT displayed their potential tournament strength during this match through a full-fledged performance of their batting and bowling divisions.
The game delivered exciting cricket matches ahead of a challenging IPL competition season that would unfold.
Conclusion :
The entire GT squad functioned in a balanced manner to produce a complete victory against RCB. RCB's run total became manageable because of the bowlers' performance which the batsmen then turned into an efficient chase through Buttler and Sudharsan's leadership. The GT victory created both RCB's initial loss of the season and proved GT's strength as a formidable IPL 2025 team.
Brief Scores :
RCB Innings : 169/8 (20 Overs) Liam Livingstone 54 off 40 Balls (1 Fours And 5 Sixes), Tim David 32 off 18 Balls ( 3 Fours And 2 Sixes),
GT Bowling : Mohammad Siraj 3/19 (4 Overs) , Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore 2/22 (4 Overs).
GT Innings : 170/2 (17.5 Over) Jos Buttler 73 off 39 Balls (5 fours And 6 Sixes), Sai Sudarshan 49 off 36 Balls (7 Fours And 1 Sixes),
RCB Bowling : Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/23 (4 Overs).
Result : Gujarat Titans Won by 8 Wickets.