Kagiso Rabada kept his IPL 2026 surge firmly on track with yet another punishing new-ball spell, dismantling Sunrisers Hyderabad’s top order and bringing his powerplay wicket tally level with some of the most dominant opening spells ever seen in the tournament. The South African pacer produced a spell of 4-0-28-3 in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, striking early and repeatedly to ensure SRH never gained any real momentum in the chase.
Rabada’s new-ball damage in Ahmedabad
Rabada struck during the most important overs, delivering a brutal powerplay burst that saw him dismiss Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Smaran Ravichandran. His figures—4-0-28-3—once again underlined why he has been viewed as the season’s most destructive fast bowler with the new ball.
- Match: SRH vs Gujarat Titans, Ahmedabad
- Date: Tuesday
- Bowling figures: 4-0-28-3
- Wickets in the powerplay: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Smaran Ravichandran
Powerplay wicket milestones: Rabada moves level
With those early breakthroughs, Rabada reached 16 wickets in the powerplay this IPL season, equalling the second-highest powerplay haul in a single edition. Only Mohammed Shami sits above him, with 17 powerplay wickets in IPL 2023.
- Most wickets in the powerplay in an IPL season: 17 – Mohammed Shami (2023)
- 16 – Mitchell Johnson (2013)
- 16 – Trent Boult (2020)
- 16* – Kagiso Rabada (2026)
He has also stretched clear at the top of the IPL 2026 powerplay wicket charts, staying well ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jofra Archer and Mohammed Siraj.
- 16 – Kagiso Rabada (ER: 9.03)*
- 12 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (ER: 6.91)
- 9 – Jofra Archer (ER: 9.36)
- 9 – Mohammed Siraj (ER: 7.36)
How the spell shaped SRH’s chase
The impact of Rabada’s new-ball work was immediate. Sunrisers Hyderabad slipped to just 34/4 in the first six overs—marking their second-lowest powerplay total in IPL 2026 and the first time this season they had lost four wickets inside the powerplay.
After Gujarat Titans posted 168/5, powered by gritty half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, Rabada ensured SRH could never settle into the chase. His first strike came by removing Abhishek Sharma with extra pace and bounce, followed by the dismissal of Ishan Kishan as SRH tried desperately to rebuild. He then struck again to take out Smaran Ravichandran, wrapping up an opening spell that tore through Hyderabad’s aggressive batting plans.
Rabada’s season-long approach: pace, length and precision
Across IPL 2026, Rabada has repeatedly gone after batters with raw pace, hostile lengths and relentless accuracy—often making conditions a secondary factor rather than a deciding one. Against SRH, he once more showcased why Gujarat Titans boast one of the tournament’s most feared pace attacks.
