Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill produced consecutive half-centuries, while Prasidh Krishna’s disciplined spell of 4 for 28 kept Lucknow Super Giants in check as Gujarat Titans recorded a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the hosts on Sunday, April 12. With this win, Titans made it two straight wins, completing the chase with eight balls remaining after LSG’s batting failed to convert early momentum into a match-defining total.
Brief scores and how the match swung
- Lucknow Super Giants: 164/8 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 30 off 21; Prasidh Krishna 4-28, Ashok Sharma 2-32)
- Gujarat Titans: 165/3 in 18.4 overs (Jos Buttler 60 off 37; Shubman Gill 56 off 40)
- Result: Gujarat Titans won by 7 wickets
Why Lucknow couldn’t build a big score
LSG’s innings lacked the conversion rate that top orders need in T20 cricket. Their leading batters made quick starts, but once they settled, wickets arrived in a cluster—often when the ball was there to be struck.
- Aiden Markram struck 30 off 21, and Mitch Marsh raced to 11 off 4 with a brisk tempo early on.
- Skipper Rishabh Pant also started aggressively, hitting a couple of boundaries and a six in his typically unconventional 11-ball 18.
- However, all three fell after they began to find rhythm, with each dismissal coming from “glory shots” rather than controlled innings-building.
- Nicholas Pooran’s scoring pace was unusually slow, and Abdul Samad also struggled to accelerate.
- It was the lower order that provided the necessary support, helping LSG reach a respectable mark above 160.
LSG also kept pushing late in the innings, collecting 44 runs in the final three overs to set a defendable platform—even though the total still depended heavily on the top order holding up its end.
Gujarat’s chase: Buttler and Gill’s control
After the start, the chase looked to be in Titans’ favour almost from the outset, particularly once Shubman Gill began to attack. The Gujarat captain took on Mohd. Shami’s most expensive over in IPL 2026 so far, and that burst effectively opened the Powerplay.
- Gill struck a no-look lofted drive for six.
- He followed it with a superb cover drive.
- Two more legside boundaries extended the momentum, turning the fifth over into a 20-run affair.
- Gill’s innings concluded shortly after his 34-ball fifty, but the partnership with Buttler had already laid the foundation.
- The duo put together an 84-run stand, ensuring Titans stayed well on course.
Buttler’s impact and milestone
Jos Buttler continued where he left off, adding his second consecutive fifty of the season. He also received a major reprieve early—Pant dropped a difficult chance on 12—and from there Buttler never allowed the match to slip into Lucknow’s favour.
- Buttler kept finding boundaries through the middle overs, preventing the LSG spinners from taking control.
- He then targeted George Linde with a sequence of boundaries, recording three strikes in a row.
- With the second boundary of that spell, he moved past 14,000 T20 runs.
- He later reached a 29-ball half-century, which also marked his 100th fifty in T20 cricket.
Did Titans face any danger? What happened to the middle overs
There were no major hiccups in the chase, though Gujarat’s middle-order had been viewed as a potential concern earlier in the tournament. Titans did, in fact, lose both of their set half-centurions within six deliveries when they still needed 30 off 26 balls, bringing a moment of pressure back into the equation.
That said, Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia steadied the run chase with calm finishing. Their unbeaten 30-run partnership came in just 18 balls, sealing the win and marking back-to-back victories for Gujarat.
What’s next for Lucknow and Gujarat
- Gujarat Titans: Return home for their match against KKR on Friday, April 17.
- Lucknow Super Giants: Play RCB in Bengaluru on Wednesday, April 15.
