In a thrilling IPL encounter in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans triumphed over Delhi Capitals by seven wickets, largely propelled by Jos Buttler’s impressive innings of 97 not out from 54 balls. Although Buttler edged on reaching a century, his teammate Rahul Tewatia promptly finished the job by hitting a six and a four in the final over, securing Gujarat’s victory and moving them to the top of the league standings.
Elsewhere, the Lucknow Super Giants narrowly defeated the Rajasthan Royals by two runs in Jaipur, thanks to a superb final over by pacer Avesh Khan. Khan brilliantly defended nine runs in the last six balls, conceding just six while his teammates nearly floundered opportunities with a dropped catch and a fielding blunder. Rajasthan, having been in a leading position at 156 for 2 after 17 overs, stuttered to 178 for 5, thus falling short in their chase of Lucknow’s 180 for 5, spearheaded by Aiden Markram and Ayush Badoni’s fifties.
Despite narrowly missing out on an eighth century, Buttler anchored the chase by hitting 11 fours and four sixes, leading Gujarat to 204 for 3 in just 19.2 overs. The innings was set on course by an essential 119-run partnership for the third wicket between Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed a lively 43 from 34 deliveries. This successful pairing grounded Gujarat’s pursuit of Delhi’s formidable score of 203 for 8, a total shaped by Delhi skipper Axar Patel’s 39 off 32 balls.
In their pursuit of the target, Gujarat overcame the early dismissal of their captain Shubman Gill, run out for a mere 7, bringing Buttler to the crease. He formed a significant 60-run alliance with Sai Sudharsan for the second wicket. Sudharsan scored an enterprising 36 from 21 balls by the eighth over, placing Gujarat comfortably at 74 for 2.
Prior to Gujarat’s response, Delhi’s innings were destabilized by pacer Prasidh Krishna’s remarkable spell of 4 wickets for 41 runs in four overs, including the critical dismissal of Lokesh Rahul for an explosive 28 off just 14 balls. Delhi’s best stand came courtesy of Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs, who put up 53 runs off 36 balls, with the innings bolstered by Ashutosh Sharma’s late onslaught — a brisk 37 off 19 balls with three sixes — ensuring they surpassed 200.
In Jaipur, Lucknow faced a shaky start while batting, losing key players Mitchell Marsh (4) and the tournament’s leading run-scorer Nicholas Pooran (11) cheaply. Skipper Rishabh Pant was dismissed for just 3, leaving Lucknow reeling at 54 for 3 from 7.4 overs. Nonetheless, Markram stood firm, notching his fourth half-century of the season with a confident knock of 50 off 31 balls, featuring three sixes and five fours, alongside Ayush Badoni who mirrored his feat with an identical 50 from 34 deliveries. The pair’s partnership was pivotal in stabilizing Lucknow’s innings.
As Rajasthan began their chase, they introduced young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, marking his debut at just 14 years old and instantly making an impact by hitting his very first ball for six. Standing in for the injured Sanju Samson, Suryavanshi compiled a spirited 34 from 20 balls, ably supported by Yashasvi Jaiswal who smashed 74 off 52. Jaiswal and Suryavanshi’s opening stand of 85 from 52 deliveries set a strong foundation, further reinforced by Riyan Parag’s contribution of 62 runs from 43 balls as the substitute captain.
However, things took an unexpected turn as Jaiswal and Parag fell to Khan’s precise yorkers in a dramatic 18th over. Khan sealed the contest in an exhilarating final over, taking another wicket, ultimately steering his side to an astonishing victory. Reflecting on the outcome, Parag voiced his uncertainty, stating, “Don’t know what we did wrong. The last over was unfortunate.”