More than two decades apart, the same lesson returned—how quickly a cricket innings can tilt when the opening phase goes wrong. An ODI from Johannesburg in 2001 and an IPL match in 2026 at Jaipur both revolved around a brutal start: in the ODI, it was a World Cup final; in the IPL, it was a high-stakes league encounter where no one needed a “must-win” tag to feel the pressure. Yet the message was identical—setting the tone early can decide everything.
How the horror over shaped two matches
- Over 23 years ago, India fast bowler Zaheer Khan produced an unforgettable opening nightmare against Australia at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
- In what became a massive blow for India, Zaheer was unable to settle in the very first over of the match—he delivered 10 balls instead of the usual six.
- That opening spell featured two no-balls and two wides, including a wide that cost five runs.
- Zaheer’s over went for 15 runs, and while the runs mattered, it was the chaos and disorder that followed which ultimately swallowed India’s bowling plans.
- Australia then powered past 350 and went on to win the final comfortably, turning India’s early collapse into a rout.
- On Saturday night at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the Rajasthan Royals versus Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 game brought back those painful memories.
- This time, the bowler at the centre of the damage was Jofra Archer, who did not begin with a no-ball like Zaheer did, but the over ended up looking eerily similar in impact.
- Archer bowled 11 deliveries in his spell: four were wides, including one wide that cost five runs, and there was also a no-ball.
- That over cost 18 runs, and once again the contest appeared to slip away for the fielding side, just as it had in South Africa years earlier.
- The start proved contagious. After Archer’s over, Rajasthan’s bowling unit also lost its rhythm, leaving India’s earlier collapse and the sequel to it feeling disturbingly parallel.
In the IPL clash, Gujarat Titans ended up surrendering 37 extras—two byes, 12 leg byes, seven no-balls, and 16 runs from wides. Even the discipline in the fielding department fractured as the overs unfolded.
After Archer’s over, Rajasthan Royals could not immediately regain control either. They finished with 19 extras in total: one no-ball, 16 wide runs, one bye, and one leg-bye. On top of that, there were a few dropped chances that further tilted the balance.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill led the run-chase from the front with a 44-ball 84, and he was twice dropped—first by stand-in RR captain Yashasvi Jaiswal and later by Shimron Hetmyer.
Why the chasing side never recovered
The result was always heading in the wrong direction for the Royals, and it was especially surprising given the form the English quick had shown before that spell. In the run-up to the match, he had been a real spark for the season—bowling with sharp pace and frequently creating breakthroughs in the early overs. Many games had swung in favour of his side because of those opening bursts, which made the shock of that over even more painful for fans.
Archer did not even complete his full quota; he conceded 46 runs across three overs without taking a wicket. Zaheer Khan had been expected to provide India with the kind of early impetus he was known for, but the numbers from South Africa tell their own story—he finished with figures of 0/67 from seven overs. In that same ODI, the veteran Javagal Srinath was rattled by what was unfolding around him, and he went on to concede 0/87 in 10 overs.
In the IPL match, Gujarat Titans made the most of the early chaos by posting a huge 229/4. Rajasthan Royals, despite a promising start driven by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, could not find a way to get close to the target. Rashid Khan was decisive in the middle overs, tightening the game and cutting down the chances of a late surge.
That is why the opening phase matters so much in T20 cricket—plans must be tidy, execution has to be orderly, and extras cannot be allowed to pile up. Gujarat Titans’ bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada also faced early punishment from Sooryavanshi, but the damage didn’t come with a flood of extras. In the end, that difference—control in the scoreboard margins—proved decisive.
Gujarat Titans ultimately won the contest by 77 runs, turning one expensive over into an innings-defining advantage, and once again proving how quickly the tone of a match can be set—or ruined.
