As it happened: Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2022, Brabourne
By Sreshth Shah and Hemant BrarTewatia the iceman
After the last game, when Rashid and Tewatia pulled off a coup against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Tewatia said in an interaction with Hardik that the talk in the middle was they will not fret over if they play out a dot. Here there were no dots but Hasrhal gave away only six from the first five balls of the 19th over. Then Tewatia nonchalantly launched the last ball over wide long-off for a six. That brought the equation down from 13 needed from seven to seven needed from six.
Hazlewood started the final over with a wide before Miller clubbed him over midwicket for four. A single brought Tewatita back on strike and he wrapped it up with a four over extra cover.
Titans now have eight wins from nine games, and a foot in the playoffs.
Tewatia is the Player of the Match too. Gaurav Sundararaman pings that Tewatia is the seventh Titans player to win the award.
That's all from our side for this game. See you soon.
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Titans favourites now?
After a two and a dot, Tewatia pulls Hazlewood over fine leg for a six. The bowler goes fuller and wider for the next ball and Tewatia carves him through covers for four. On the final ball of the over, Miller takes advantage of the short leg-side boundary and pulls it for four more.
Nineteen needed from the last two overs now.
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Siraj concedes 15
After Hasaranga concedes 13, Siraj's 16th over goes for 15. Tewatia steers one fine of third man to pick up a four. When Lomror moves finer, Tewatia hits one to his left but this time Lomror misfields and the ball rolls to the boundary line. On the final ball of the over Tewatia moves across and looks to swipe it fine. The ball hits his leg instead and beats short fine leg for four more.
Harshal pulls it back with a seven-run over to leave Titans requiring 36 from last three.
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Miller steps up
With the asking rate climbing, Miller decides to play big shots. He first drags Hasaranga over midwicket for four. The legspinner then goes fuller and wider. Miller gives himself some room and launches him over covers for a six - that's the shorter side.
Hasaranga does well to concede only three off the next four balls.
Titans need 58 from the last five overs. Siraj will bowl the 16th, leaving Hazlewood and Harshal Patel to finish things off.
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Hasaranga gets another
This time it's Sai Sudharsan. He looks to push Hasaranga through covers off the back foot but gets an outside edge. Anuj Rawat fails to latch on to it on the first attempt but luckily for him, it lobs up and he pouches the rebound.
On the first ball of the next over, bowled by Siraj, the umpire gives Tewatia lbw. Miller asks him to send it upstairs. The ball-tracking shows the ball had pitched just outside leg stump. Tewatia survives but Siraj gives away only four from that over.
Titans 100/4 after 14. 71 needed from six overs
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Hardik holes out
Shahbaz Ahmed has been expensive but he picked up two big wickets. After dismissing Shubman Gill in his previous over, he has now sent back Hardik Pandya. He tried to take on long-on but didn't get the elevation. A simple catch for Lomror there.
Sudharsan and Miller are in the middle, and we have seen Titans pull off improbable wins. Can they do it again?
Titans 94/3 after 12. They need another 77 from eight overs.
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A bizarre no-ball, followed by six and out
A length ball from Shahbaz Nadeem but it is way outside off. Gill chases it but cannot put his bat on it. There's an appeal for caught-behind and the umpire raises his finger. Gill immediately reviews it, he knows he hasn't got any bat on it. The UltraEdge confirms that but looks like Rawat, the wicketkeeper, had his gloves in front of the stumps as the ball past the bat. Nitin Menon, the third umpire, notices this and calls it a no-ball.
Here's the paraphrased version of the relevant law:
The wicketkeeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker’s end from the moment the ball comes into play until it touches the bat or the batter, or passes the stumps, or the striker attempts a run. If he fails to do that, the delivery will be called a no-ball.
The free hit is a freebie basically. A juicy full toss on the stumps, which Gill dispatches over deep square leg. The next ball though skids on to trap Gill in front. He once again reviews it but to no avail this time.
Titans 76/2 after ten overs.
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Hasaranga snares Saha
A googly around off that spins in to Saha, who plays a strange shot. He goes on the back foot and simply chips it towards long-off. Rajat Patidar runs in from long-off and completes the catch with a slide.
Sai Sudharsan is the new batter. He picks up a couple of twos off his first three balls.
Titans 55/1 after eight. The required rate is 9.66 and Forecaster is giving them a 35% chance of a win.
PS: Kohli is back on.
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Saha takes Siraj on
In the last over of the powerplay, Siraj too tries to hit that hard length but slightly errs on the shorter side. Saha takes advantage of that, first lifting him over covers for four towards the shorter boundary. Siraj then goes straighter but is once again on the shorter side. Saha helps him over midwicket for the second four of the over. Twelve from the over in all.
But Harshal, bowling his cutters, concedes only four off the seventh over.
Titans 50/0 after seven
PS: Kohli is also off the field at the moment.
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RCB keep Titans' openers in check
After a ten-run first over, Royal Challengers have pulled things back. Even though Saha and Gill hit a boundary each, only 24 runs have come from the next four overs. With the ball stopping a bit, Hazlewood's hard lengths have proven difficult to score off. Saha is on 18 off 13, Gill on 16 off 17, and the asking rate has gone past nine.
Titans 34/0 after five
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Rashid or Hasaranga?
We saw earlier how Rashid Khan bowled a tidy spell, giving away only 29 from his fours over and picking up the crucial wicket of Dinesh Karthik. Royal Challengers will be hoping for a similar performance from Wanindu Hasaranga.
Maruti Suzuki ASKcricinfo stat: Rashid Khan or Wanindu Hasaranga, who has the better bowling average against right-handers this season?
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Rawat keeping wickets in place of Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is unwell and hasn't taken the field. Anuj Rawat is substituting for him behind the wickets.
Glenn Maxwell opens the bowling for Royal Challengers. He starts with a short ball outside off from around the wicket, which Wriddhiman Saha cuts through the backward point region for four. Three balls later Shubman Gill sweeps him over backward square leg.
Gujarat Titans 10/0 after one over
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RCB finish on 170
Mahipal Lomror, you beauty. A 7-ball cameo of 16 before being caught in the deep off the last ball bowled by Joseph. But Joseph has also leaked 15 off the final over - and that means 170 is what Royal Challengers Bangalore finish on. Just about par, isn't it? Total of 53 runs off the last five, but you think that could've been more had Kohli, DK and Maxwell not fallen in quick succession at that stage.
Nonetheless, a fighting total for the well-rested RCB bowlers to have a crack at. The Titans will be exhausted. Sangwan is still full of energy though. Tells the broadcasters that returning after an injury is always tough and he is pleased with his performance. Says it is very hot, and it was challenging to bowl that third over in his first spell.
Social media is all praise for Kohli's 43rd fifty right now but don't forget Rajat Patidar's 29-ball 52 that really kept the runs coming through the first stage of their stand after Faf du Plessis' early dismissal. It was good to see Kohli get his first IPL fifty in 14 games, and only time will tell us whether it will be a winning fifty or a losing one. For the Titans, it's a performance they'll be happy with, more so with the fifth bowler Sangwan's effort. He was the standout with 2/19
Royal Challengers Bangalore 170 for 6 (Kohli 58, Patidar 52, Maxwell 33, Sangwan 2-19) v Gujarat Titans
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On Rashid's acrobatic catching effort
Rashid Khan made a face like he didn’t know how it happened immediately after taking one of the catches of this IPL. Yet if you were at the ground and watching him, Rashid knew exactly what was coming and he was prepared. Glenn Maxwell opened the face of the bat to pick a low full toss from Fergusson while attempting an inside out shot. But Maxwell had not got well under the ball and failed to apply the desired power. Standing at short cover, Rashid did not rush at all, waited for a fraction of a second to read the direction where the ball was sailing and then calmly moved a few steps back before throwing himself sideways to pouch the ball with a reverse cup. And this is a man who was fasting due to Ramzan while fielding and bowling in 40-plus degree heat.
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Plenty happening...
Mahipal Lomror makes his entry by hitting Ferguson for a four and then smacking Joseph for a six in the first 9 balls of the last two overs. He even survives a caught dismissal after being given out following him standing his ground. He felt the ball hit some wiring going across the ground, and the TV umpire agrees. That's a dead ball.
A bit more on the DK thing: Hardik Pandya has been pretty smart with his bowling changes. He had kept one over of rashid in the death specifically for Dinesh Karthik or worst case he would be bowling to a set Kohli. Karthik coming into this game
was out twice in 26 balls against Rashid scoring just 29 runs. He was dismissed for 2 ensuring RCB don't run away with the innings in the last few overs.
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Maxi v bowlers
With Kohli gone, and DK out for 2, the RCB charge in the slog overs hasn't begun as well as they'd like. But the runs have come. 15 off Shami, 8 off Rashid's final over, and the damage is being done by Maxwell who has hit a six and four.
Interestingly, Shahbaz Ahmed came in after DK's wicket in Rashid's over. Faf had said at the toss that Mahipal Lomror was bought in for the Rashid challenge...
RCB 144 for 4 in 18 overs
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Is Kohli going slow?
Virat Kohli has recovered his form: that will be your reading considering he hit his first half-century this IPL. It has finally put an end to a horrendous run which included a golden duck. Having looked dazed and confused in the last several matches, today Kohli’s body language has been totally positive. He has looked the busybody that picked hundreds at will in all cricket. Yet, has Kohli actually dragged things down for RCB?
With 14 runs off his first 10 balls, this was Kohli’s joint-best start this season. He hit some sumptuous drives on both sides of the wicket. He was running hard. All this gave an impression that Kohli was scoring quick. Yet he was 31 runs after 30 balls. His fifty came off 45 deliveries. According to our senior stats analyst Shiva Jayaraman, Kohli’s half-century is the second slowest of the 48 fifty-plus scores he has recorded in IPL. Stack that up against the two best batters this IPL: Jos Buttler and KL Rahul. Those two men have picked centuries in 60-odd deliveries.
Understandably, even for a great batter like Kohli, he needs time to get back to his best form. But Kohli’s challenge now is to bat deep, bat fast.
Update 16.4: Kohli is bowled by a Shami yorker. Finishes on 58 in 53 balls (6x4, 1x6, SR 109)
Contributed by Nagraj Gollapudi
Contributed by Nagraj Gollapudi
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A maiden fifty for Rajat Patidar
He's been using his feet well. Not everything has come off. But Patidar backs away and smacks a drive through cover to reach his maiden IPL fifty in 29 balls. Striking at 175, he has been the veil that has not forced us to analyse Kohli's innings of a strike-rate of under 120 too much. From his shot-making, the team's strategy is clear: Patidar is here to hit, Kohli is here to play the long game. But aggression will need to come from both ends at some point. RCB 110/1 after 14
First ball next over, Patidar is out to a wide ball from Sangwan that he tried to play behind square, and he's out at square leg. Maxwell or DK next? Batting number or form? Maxwell it is. He's on strike with Sangwan expected to mix his pace... and is very nearly out in the deep!
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There's No. 43
And there it is. The 13rd over from Shami sees Patidar try a scoop and once Kohli gets back on strike, he gets to his 43rd IPL fifty, and first of the season. The crowd's applause reaches a crescendo as he looks upwards. Patidar, meanwhile, has continued offering his shots - even though not all of them are coming off. Even survived an edge off Rashid that Wriddhiman Saha couldn't grab.
The second time out is taken after Shami's over with RCB 102 for 1 after 13 overs. Patidar three away from his own fifty and Maxwell surely itching to get out there with the Titans bowlers getting demoralised in the heat. But... despite the lack of a second wicket so far, they will be happy managing to keep RCB to under eight per over. Only wickets will ensure the rate stays somewhere there.
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...is this the charge?
Day games at the Brabourne consistently provide high scores, and even though the pitches are wearing down through the tournament, a par score would still be around 175 for the RCB bowlers to feel a tad comfortable against a batting unit in form.
And the two have recognised that. Kohli played out four dots off Lockie Ferguson in his first over but the return over goes for 15 with Kohli pulling off a six-four combo. The third four came from Rajat Patidar, who has been that "busy" player of the Rahul Tripathi mould. Patidar is clearly the aggressor with a long batting line up still in the shed. He has taken Rashid Khan on for a six, and the 11th over from Joseph sees Patidar pull him for another half a dozen. Patidar 40 in 21, Kohli 45 in 41. RCB 87 for 1 in 11 overs, ESPNcricinfo's forecaster has them reaching 174 from here.
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Powerplay complete
So here's the good news. Like all season, Kohli has looked in solid touch. Fluency is not the problem. A bit of luck and a bit more restraint for the next few overs could see him build up for a big score.
He sent Shami's replacement Alzarri Joseph for back to back fours in a 13-run fifth over while Patidar has grown in confidence with two fours. Both have been running well despite the heat. Hope they're staying hydrated and the umpires give a bit of leeway on the over rates given how hot it is in Mumbai today.
Sangwan bowls a third to see off the powerplay. RCB 43 for 1 after six overs with the partnership now 32 in 4.1 overs. The broadcasters show that Kohli's boundaries have come off the full balls offered to him by Shami and Joseph with the new ball. But here's Rashid Khan for the seventh...
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8, 8, 96, 5, 23, 0
That's Faf du Plessis' last six scores, the latest one being the duck to his name. Pradeep Sangwan gets the wicket in the second over by getting a length ball to just angle across and take the edge of Faf's defending stance. The left-arm seamer's action is a bit more round-arm than before and has basically bowled on a good length around middle stump.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has looked positive. A straight drive and a flick for two fours off Mohammad Shami in the opening over gave Royal Challengers a bright start, but the Faf wicket from the other end will delight Gujarat Titans.
Shami's second over is tighter. The lone boundary was a not-in-control top-edge from Kohli, but No. 3 Rajat Patidar's three off the last ball means RCB are 19/1 after three overs
To be honest, Shami has not looked in rhythm in his first spell, and has now walked off the field. He seemed to get his run-up wrong a few times, once even needing the tape to measure his run-up mid over much to the annoyance of the umpires. Bowlers usually mark it with chalk before a game, but he clearly had his measurements wrong.
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Sangwan is back!
For left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan, it is his first game since IPL 2018 where he represented Mumbai Indians. At the very first IPL, the left-arm seamer was the first pick in the "U-19 drafts" that decided where each U-19 winner of the 2008 World Cup would go. Delhi Daredevils chose Sangwan. Their hometown boy Virat Kohli was chosen by Royal Challengers Bangalore. And here we are, the two men still around after 14 years, maybe even facing off versus each other. This is the second time Sangwan will represent a Gujarat side. He did so with Gujarat Lions in 2016 too, and in IPL 2020 was a Delhi Capitals net bowler. In 2018, his bowling helped Delhi win the Syed Mushtaq Ali title.
On the other hand, for Kohli - his U-19 World Cup captain - IPL 2022 has been terrible. 128 runs in his first nine innings at an average of 16.00 is now directly affecting RCB's form with runs not coming from Maxwell, Faf or Rawat. Here's Ian Bishop on why Kohli needs to quickly get his form back.
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RCB break the toss trend
203 is the average first-innings winning score here in IPL 2022. And Faf du Plessis has chosen to bat first at the toss. Says the heat in the day game is a factor. Also says they are looking to bounce back. Says that a left-hander comes into the XI.... probably Mahipal Lomror.
Hardik Pandya on his 100th IPL game says that he is proud of himself. He says he would've liked to bat first due to the heat as well. Doesn't expect the wicket to change much, but also wants the boys to not be overcooked in the heat. Two forced changes: Dayal and Manohar are out with niggles, Pradeep Sangwan and Sai Sudharsan are in.
It is a good call from RCB, I suspect it is a bit of a reverse psychology with the Titans, who were the first team to choose to bat at the toss, a game that they won. That was also a day match, so now they are forced to move away from that choice.
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Looking ahead...
No team has started an IPL campaign as well as Gujarat Titans in the history of the competition. What can Bangalore do to stop them? They are trying to avoid a hat-trick of L's. Here's all you need to know, to be fully prepared for this afternoon contest:
1. Match preview: Titans look to extend dream run against low-on-confidence Royal Challengers
2. Vettori and Cutting with the video preview.
3. Aakash Chopra on Rashid Khan, the batter (video).
5. Links to our hindi coverage and the points table.
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Can Titans extend their dream run?
Gujarat Titans. Seven wins from eight games. Placed at the top of the points table. It has been truly a dream ride so far. Something hardly anyone predicted before the start of the tournament. Today they are up against Royal Challengers Bangalore, who lost their last two games and might be low on confidence. Titans will see this as an opportunity to wrap up another win and take a step further towards playoffs. But Royal Challengers are more than capable of spoiling those plans, especially if one of their big three - Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell - comes good. Nagraj Gollapudi, who is at the venue, reckons Mahipal Lomror could get his first game of the season today.
If you’re in the USA, you can watch the action live on ESPN+.
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