Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals have already played each other three times before their first IPL 2023 matchup, with the Hardik Pandya-led squad winning each match, including the semifinal and Qualifier 1 match. David Miller and the team's captain, Pandya, both played crucial roles in the three victories, and they did it again on Sunday, April 16, in the match against Ahmedabad.
Thanks to Miller's 46 and useful assistance from the other batsmen, the Titans scored a respectable 177/7. They specifically targeted the spinners for the Royals, as R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, and Trent Boult all went beyond 30 runs from their allotted overs. In the first half of the chase, the Titans then produced a brilliant display with the ball. The Royals went down to 55/4 in the 11th over thanks to crucial wickets from Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, and Rashid Khan.
But the Royals pulled off a spectacular comeback. Shimron Hetmyer completed the chase with four deliveries remaining after captain Sanju Samson had reignited the pursuit with a 32-ball 60 that came off 26 deliveries. Samson and Hetmyer combined for 11 sixes, 10 of which came in the second half of the chase as the Royals turned the game around to defeat the Titans for the first time.
"It was an important victory. The Titans have a longer history with humanity and currently outnumber us in that regard. It feels great when we come back from a deficit, handle some pressure, push the game past its natural conclusion, and come out on top. In the post-game press conference, Boult said, "There are some positive vibes in the locker room, and it feels wonderful to come out on the right side of the result.
Boult noted that the RR hitters struggled against the Titans pacers' accurate hitting and challenging delivery, but they were able to hold out and respond, resisting the pressure. It's challenging to single out a certain moment in the game, but that's the essence of T20 cricket — you may win at any stage. Given how frequently teams meet—and our team in particular—and discuss tactics, it was good to actually use some of the information.
"Obviously choosing 12 overs of spin, I thought they pulled it back very nicely, and every over counts, but Sandy [Sandeep Sharma] closed that innings out nicely," the author said. They bowled really effectively on the 175 [177], an excellent wicket, and demonstrated to us how to bowl with the lengths and decent swing available. Once more, we simply took it in and put ourselves in a situation where a few restrictions caused it to swing back to us.
"We got a few exceptionally capable hitters in our side and I think the genuine positive is seeing folks stand up at various times. It's obvious that Jos [Buttler] is a huge player for us, and I'm sure he'll be disappointed if he doesn't get some runs tonight. Boult added, "But the rest of the batting unit's desire to contribute is the hunger; different guys stand up at different times."
Afghanistan's Noor Ahmad, who was brought in as an impact player, had a costly start, but in the 15th over, he took Samson out to leave the Royals at 114/5. When Hetmyer broke loose, the Royals needed 64 runs to win in the last five overs. With the help of Dhruv Jurel and R Ashwin, Hetmyer got the Royals over the line by scoring a six off Ahmad in the last over.
While Ahmad only gave up eight runs in the 17th over, Alzarri Joseph, Shami, and Rashid combined to give up 49 runs in their last three overs. Vikram Solanki, the Titans' director of cricket, defended the bowlers used in the death overs and Ahmad, whose debut score was 1-29 from 2.2 overs, as well.
"If you think about how Mohammed Shami bowled in his initial spell, I think Mohit Sharma was an option in the last four overs. With seven runs to defend in the final over, it was crucial to attempt to take a wicket. We were able to break that partnership thanks to Noor, who actually brought us back into the game (with Samson's wicket). He was brilliant, in my opinion. At that point, I suppose it becomes a line call to see if he can try to take a wicket.
"I just think that Noor had a wonderful debut. He came in, took that crucial wicket under pressure, and did what he did was exceptional. It reveals a lot about his character. Furthermore, the way that Hardik had the trust in him, to bowl him in those troublesome stages, talks about the certainty that he has," said Solanki.
After their earlier defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, the Titans suffered their second defeat at home this season. Although the defeat was disappointing, Solanki promised that the team would continue to win over its supporters.
"Games have elements of winning and losing, but we are extremely appreciative of the fans who come out to support us. I believe we have provided them with something to cheer about in the past, and we will continue to put in a lot of effort to make sure they have a team they can be proud of. We put in a lot of work. It is true that we lost, and we are disappointed that we were not on the winning side of the result today. We will evaluate each component of this game as we've finished with our successes as well as our misfortunes," said Solanki.
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