Good morning! It\u2019s Wednesday, the IPL standings are in complete disarray, and even 16 points may not be enough to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. Gujarat Titans have managed to climb into that zone, but they\u2019ll know plenty of teams are still nipping at their heels. Welcome to your Cricbuzz Pulse\u2014your quick, two-minute walkthrough of what matters across the IPL universe.<\/p>\n
Last night in five lines<\/b>
\nGujarat Titans started their chase of control with a 34\/2 Powerplay, which also marked their slowest opening phase of the season. Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar steadied the innings with half-centuries\u2014Sundar doing it off just 33 deliveries on what was described as a tacky surface\u2014helping the innings rebuild after the early wobble. A total of 168 might have looked slightly light, but it proved to be more than sufficient. Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada struck early and repeatedly, drawing edges in a manner that felt almost Test-like in Ahmedabad. SRH were bowled out for 86, their lowest all-out total in IPL history, and it handed GT their biggest win ever.<\/p>\n
Oh, that happened<\/b>
\nSalil Arora produced a moment that will be replayed for a long time: he defended the ball, watched it trickle back towards the stumps, and the ball rolled onto them but somehow refused to dislodge the bails\u2014leaving the batter\u2019s dismissal in the balance for a strange beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuy a lottery ticket,\u201d said Pommie Mbangwa on air.<\/p>\n
Pulse awards<\/b>
\nGujarat Titans pick up the \u201cis-that-purple-or-blue\u201d award for bringing lavender into men\u2019s wardrobes\u2014and making it seem like a winning tactical choice. They also receive the \u201cslow-cooker\u201d tag for taking their time early and still managing to serve up a total that was more than adequate. Washington Sundar earns the \u201cmiddle-management\u201d award for stepping in when the situation looked shaky, quietly restoring order without turning it into a personal spotlight. Siraj and Rabada share the \u201ci-don\u2019t-have-your-back\u201d award for missing chances at the catch end of things off each other\u2019s bowling, and then\u2014despite that\u2014still dismantling the entire batting lineup.<\/p>\n
Talking point<\/b>
\nIn a league that\u2019s increasingly shaped by batting fireworks, Gujarat are winning \u201calmost entirely\u201d through their bowling approach. They\u2019ve now strung together five consecutive victories, and in each of those games opponents have been held below 170. Bowling contributions are also driving their Player of the Match haul: 7 of their 8 such awards have come to players for bowling performances. The new-ball duo of Siraj and Rabada has set the tone, topping Powerplay wicket charts with 25 wickets at an astonishing strike rate of 17.2. The plan is straightforward, but the execution is relentless: 84.3% of their deliveries in the Powerplay are described as hard lengths, and that discipline remains even in the middle overs, where 68.1% still land on hard lengths\u2014figures among the highest in the competition.<\/p>\n
The chatter<\/b>
\nShubman Gill said Gujarat knew that if they got anywhere close to 160\u2013170, it would be difficult for the opposition to handle the wicket. Rabada added that the pitch became \u201ca little bit sticky\u201d and \u201creally got hard for the batters,\u201d while also pointing out that the bowling side \u201cshowed how to bowl on it\u201d and they simply tried to follow that example. Pat Cummins conceded that SRH \u201cdidn\u2019t really give us much to score,\u201d calling it \u201cas good as T20 bowling as you\u2019re going to see,\u201d and said it looked like a \u201cpretty tough wicket once you hit that back of a length.\u201d<\/p>\n
SRH head coach Dan Vettori referred to the result as \u201ca blip.\u201d He said they understood they needed a strong start and \u201cwe didn\u2019t get it,\u201d but insisted, \u201cI don\u2019t put any blame on the batting unit, they\u2019ve been exceptional this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stat snack<\/b>
\nThis is the first occasion since 2024 that SRH failed to chase a target under 200 in IPL.<\/p>\n
Gossip column<\/b>
\nSome \u201cBirdies\u201d chatter claims Shubman Gill\u2019s moustache is currently the most carefully maintained item in the Gujarat Titans camp\u2014impeccably trimmed, suspiciously perfect, and showing up in peak form every match. And because Gujarat are continuing to win, the question hangs in the air: coincidence, or a hidden superstition?<\/p>\n
Tonight\u2019s watchlist<\/b>
\nIt\u2019s RCB\u2019s match day, and the excitement is obvious as they take on KKR. It\u2019s also one of those rivalries with history behind it. The key questions: will the surface be sticky again? Can Virat Kohli produce a meaningful score for the Raipur faithful? And will Varun Chakravarthy find a way to be unplayable on that kind of pitch?<\/p>\n
Reckless prediction<\/b>
\nWith Krunal Pandya not facing a bouncer in this game, Venkatesh Iyer is tipped to bring up IPL\u2019s fastest fifty against his former team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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