Tata IPL 2024 Match 24, RR Vs GT – Match Report

April 11, 2024

Captain Shubman Gill’s impressive innings of 72 runs off 44 balls, combined with Rashid Khan’s quickfire 24* off 11 deliveries and Rahul Tewatia’s contribution of 22 runs off 11 balls, led Gujarat Titans to a thrilling victory on the final ball against Rajasthan Royals in Match 24 of TATA IPL 2024 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

Gill’s solid innings of 72 runs off 44 balls set the stage, and when Gujarat Titans needed 40 runs from the last 15 balls, Rashid and Tewatia joined forces, orchestrating a remarkable victory on the match’s final delivery. Requiring 15 runs from the last over, Rashid’s three consecutive fours, culminating in the winning shot with just two runs needed off the final ball, ignited jubilant celebrations in the GT team. Rashid’s exceptional bowling performance of 1 wicket for 18 runs in the initial innings further bolstered his all-around contribution.

In the earlier innings, Riyan Parag’s innings of 76 runs off 48 balls and captain Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 68 runs off 38 balls, both scoring crucial fifties, propelled RR to a competitive total of 196/3.

Parag and Samson played pivotal roles in RR’s recovery from 42/2, forging a remarkable partnership of 130 runs off just 78 balls, enabling RR to reach a formidable total of 196/3.

In pursuit of 197 runs, Gujarat Titans began their innings steadily, reaching 44 without losing any wickets during the Powerplay phase. Both openers, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, showcased impressive stroke play, with Gill predominantly scoring boundaries in the ‘V’ region.

In the seventh over, the duo reached a 50-run partnership. Sudharsan followed this up by hitting a couple of fours off Chahal, and he also survived a close caught-and-bowled chance as Chahal couldn’t grasp onto a difficult opportunity.

Samson made a strategic move by bringing pacer Kuleep Sen into the attack, and it paid off immediately as Sen took three wickets in just two overs, causing a setback for GT. He first dismissed Sudharsan LBW for 35 runs off 29 balls. In his subsequent over, he forced Wade to drag one onto the stumps, and then he bowled a beautiful delivery to clean up Abhinav Manohar three balls later, leaving GT struggling at 79/3. The match was briefly interrupted due to rain after the 10th over.

Gill reached his fifty milestone in 35 balls. Vijay Shankar attempted to inject some pace into the innings but was dismissed by Chahal. The GT captain then accelerated, hitting two boundaries off R Ashwin and two more off Chahal. However, Chahal retaliated strongly, getting Gill stumped with a cunning wide delivery as Gill charged down the track. Samson completed the dismissal behind the stumps, securing a crucial wicket for RR.

Requiring 59 runs from 24 balls, Shahrukh and Rahul Tewatia launched an aggressive assault, scoring two fours and a six to accumulate 17 runs from the over. However, Avesh Khan’s exceptional yorker in the following over resulted in Shahrukh getting dismissed LBW. Avesh’s over was outstanding, conceding only 7 runs. With the equation now at 35 runs needed from 12 balls, Tewatia and Rashid Khan struck three boundaries off Sen, turning the over into a 20-run haul for GT.

Requiring 15 runs from the final over, Rashid Khan began strongly by hitting a boundary off the first ball. He followed it up with a couple of runs before finding the gap past the wicketkeeper for another four, reducing the required runs to 5 from 3 balls. The following delivery yielded a single. However, the next ball saw Tewatia attempting a risky third run after mistiming a shot over mid-off, resulting in his dismissal. With just two runs needed off the last ball, Rashid Khan sealed the victory in style by smashing a boundary over point, triggering lively celebrations among the team.

In the earlier part of the match, Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first.

The visiting team had a strong start, taking the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler during the Powerplay while giving away 43 runs.

Jaiswal displayed impressive batting, executing several powerful drives through the off side and scoring five boundaries. However, his innings came to an end in the fifth over when he attempted a scoop shot, only to edge the ball to the keeper Matthew Wade, who completed a fantastic leaping catch.

Upon reaching the crease, Captain Sanju Samson swiftly found his rhythm, scoring two delightful fours. However, Buttler, who had faced difficulties in getting started, was dismissed in the final over of the Powerplay. Captain Shubman Gill’s decision to introduce Rashid Khan during the Powerplay paid off, as Rashid claimed Buttler’s wicket off the fourth delivery, with Buttler caught at slip.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) struggled to build consistent momentum and managed to reach a score of 43/2 by the conclusion of the Powerplay.

The home team maintained pressure, restricting Rajasthan Royals (RR) from scoring freely. They had a chance to take another wicket early in the innings, but Wade couldn’t hold on to an outside edge from Parag off Rashid Khan’s bowling. Parag later broke free with a six and a four off Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan, respectively, helping RR reach 73/2 by the halfway stage.

Parag and Samson shifted the momentum significantly by accelerating their scoring rate. Parag hit a six over deep mid-wicket off Noor, completing a 50-run partnership in 39 balls. He continued his aggressive play by hitting another six in the same over, contributing to RR reaching 100 runs with a 15-run over.

Parag reached his half-century in impressive fashion, scoring 50 runs off 34 balls with a powerful six over deep mid-wicket off Mohit Sharma. This marked his third half-century in four innings, showcasing his consistent form.

Samson also contributed to the boundary spree by smashing two strong fours and a six off Spencer Johnson, accumulating 16 runs in the 15th over. Together, they reached a 100-run partnership in just 64 balls. Samson then reached his half-century in 31 balls. Their partnership continued to flourish, adding 130 runs off 78 deliveries before Parag’s dismissal in the penultimate over. Parag, scoring 76 runs off 48 balls, was caught excellently by Vijay Shankar at the long-off boundary off Mohit Sharma’s bowling.

Samson and Hetmyer concluded the innings with a strong finish, scoring 19 runs off the last over and pushing RR’s total to 196/3. Samson ended unbeaten with 68 runs off 38 balls, while Hetmyer remained not out on 13 runs off 5 balls.

At the beginning of the second innings, Rajasthan Royals (RR) included Keshav Maharaj as their Impact player, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Gujarat Titans (GT) named Shahrukh Khan as their Impact Player, taking the place of Mohit Sharma.

Please click to see the report: