In Ahmedabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s fast-bowling unit delivered another reminder of why it has been so difficult to face this season. By landing consistently on hard lengths and forcing Gujarat Titans’ batters into mistakes, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam Dar struck early and repeatedly to dismantle the top order and leave the visitors struggling.
Build-up and what Rajat Patidar said
Ahead of the game, Rajat Patidar had spoken about the value of a strike-leaning bowling group in T20 cricket. He pointed out that while scores in the 200–220 range are achievable on certain surfaces, defending that kind of total demands wickets at regular intervals. Patidar also praised Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, Duffy and Dar for their ability to bowl Test-match length discipline in a shorter format.
How the match unfolded: RCB’s three-pronged strike
- Bengaluru’s pace trio combined to take seven wickets in the contest, using precise lengths to keep Gujarat’s batters under pressure.
- Gujarat’s top three—Shubman Gill (10), Sai Sudharsan (12) and Nishant Sindhu (20)—were all dismissed on deliveries pitched on a good length, underlining RCB’s control.
- Bhuvneshwar began aggressively from ball one, immediately challenging Gill with an inswinging ball that Gill could only guide towards mid-off.
- On the next phase, Bhuvneshwar produced another sharp delivery that looked like it would graze Gill’s outside edge, before Gill responded with an elegant cover drive.
- Hazlewood was introduced for the third over in place of Jacob Duffy and followed a similarly disciplined approach, looking to disrupt Gujarat’s intent.
- To counter RCB’s plan, Gill decided to charge Hazlewood. Hazlewood responded with a short ball, and Gill punished it by smashing it over deep midwicket for a boundary.
- Hazlewood then held his nerve and kept to the plan; the following ball was not as short, and Gill’s footwork betrayed him as he ended up lofting the catch. Patidar, stationed at mid-off, moved smartly to complete the dismissal.
- Bhuvneshwar struck again, this time removing Sai Sudharsan with a ball that arrived with intent. Sai had earlier been drawn forward by a shorter length, but the next delivery was short again; Sai attempted the pull and failed to control it.
- Jitesh Sharma took the catch, moving to his right to finish it. The previous delivery had been called a no-ball, making this the first legal ball of that over—yet it still produced the breakthrough Bhuvneshwar was looking for.
- Dar, often the quiet third option in RCB’s pace rotation, then removed Nishant Sindhu. Sindhu, like Gill and Sudharsan before him, tried to advance down the wicket after being kept in check.
- Dar spotted the advance and banged it in short. Sindhu tried to cut loose, but instead flat-batted straight to Devdutt Padikkal at long-on, sealing another wicket for Bengaluru.
- Rasikh Salam Dar ultimately finished with bowling figures of 3 for 27, reflecting how the “support” bowler role can decide matches in quick time.
Patidar on why Rasikh’s breakthroughs mattered
Rasikh’s impact stood out in the way he kept producing wickets when called upon. Patidar highlighted that it is not enough to rely on just one or two strike bowlers throughout a tournament—teams need consistent breakthroughs, and Rasikh’s ability to deliver across matches has been a key part of Bengaluru’s success.
A near miss for Gujarat and how Bengaluru’s attack changed the game
Gujarat also had a moment where they could have lost Washington Sundar. Jacob Duffy tested the India all-rounder with a sharp bouncer, and Washington went for the pull but mistimed it. The chance went begging when Jordan Cox could not complete the catch cleanly because the ball became trapped between the ring fingers of both hands. The ball stayed airborne long enough before eventually brushing the grass.
That slice of luck protected Gujarat from further damage. Without it, the home side might have been reeling at 63 for 4 at the halfway stage. Instead, Gujarat fought back to reach 155 for 8, helped by Washington’s resilient 37-ball 50 not out.
The bigger takeaway
Even so, the chase was always going to be tough against a strong RCB batting set. The game served as a reminder that while batting can certainly win you matches, the tournament is often pushed towards the team that can use bowling to tighten the competition and finish it off when it matters.
