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Buttler's 73 Helps GT Beat RCB After Siraj Disrupts His Old Team
IPL 2025: Buttler's 73 Helps GT Beat RCB by 8 wickets
Gujarat Titans won by 8 wickets, chasing 170 in 17.5 overs. Jos Buttler's match-winning 73 off 39 balls* with 5 fours, 6 sixes.
Mohammed Siraj took 3 wickets for 19 runs against his old team, and with Jos Buttler scoring an impressive 73 not out off 39 balls, Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by eight wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
This was Siraj's first time playing against RCB after seven years, and he came back to Bengaluru eager to prove himself. He bowled at speeds over 140 kph, causing trouble for the batters during the powerplay and getting an important wicket in the final overs. Even with Siraj's strong performance, RCB managed to score 169 for 8, thanks to Liam Livingstone's half-century and some quick runs from Jitesh Sharma and Tim David.
For RCB, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled well during the early overs. However, as the game went on, their bowling lost its effectiveness. While Shubman Gill got out early, Sai Sudharsan and Buttler scored 75 runs together off just 47 balls, giving GT a good start in their chase. Then, Sherfane Rutherford came in as an Impact Sub and added a strong 63 runs off 32 balls alongside Buttler, helping GT reach their target with 13 balls to spare.
This was GT's second win in three matches, while RCB's loss was their first after two impressive victories.
Siraj has celebrated with his "siuuu" several times at Chinnaswamy over the last seven years, and most of the time, fans cheered loudly. However, on Wednesday, he ran to celebrate twice during the power play, and it was quiet in the stadium. Since RCB didn’t keep him on the team before the auction, Siraj, now playing for GT, had something to prove. And he did it impressively.
His performance during the power play was exceptional. Bowling in the mid-140s kph, Siraj not only threw fast balls but also placed them accurately. According to ESPNcricinfo, out of the 18 balls he bowled in the powerplay, six were well-placed, which helped him take two wickets. More importantly, eight of his deliveries were aimed at the stumps, giving the batters little chance to score. RCB only managed to make good contact with 50% of his balls during this time.
RCB had a tough time early on, losing four wickets quickly, but Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone fought back with aggressive stroke play. Livingstone had a shaky start, struggling to time his shots, but he soon found his rhythm. He was dropped twice and also survived a missed stumping, making the most of his chances. Jitesh played fluently, striking the ball cleanly and forming a valuable 52-run partnership with Livingstone. However, R Sai Kishore broke the stand, dismissing Jitesh and later Krunal Pandya. With Tim David joining in, RCB managed a late surge, adding crucial runs in the final overs. Livingstone, in particular, hammered Rashid Khan, smashing three sixes in the 18th over and reaching his fifty off 39 balls. Despite their late efforts, RCB’s total of 169 looked slightly below what was needed.
Mohammed Siraj was RCB’s standout bowler. He could have removed Phil Salt early, but Buttler dropped the catch behind the stumps. Soon after, Siraj clean-bowled Devdutt Padikkal, sending the stumps flying. Although Salt smashed a 105-meter six off him in the next over, Siraj responded immediately, uprooting his off-stump with a fiery 145.9 km/h delivery. Later, he returned in the 19th over to claim the key wicket of Livingstone, finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 19, including 14 dot balls in his four overs.
For the Gujarat Titans, Jos Buttler led the chase brilliantly. He came into the tournament under pressure, having recently stepped down as England’s white-ball captain. He also had to adjust to a new IPL team and a different batting position at No. 3. Despite all that, he showed his class once again. GT started cautiously as Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept things tight, and Shubman Gill departed early. Buttler took his time to settle, scoring only 5 off his first 8 balls, but he soon shifted gears, attacking Rasikh Salam and racing ahead. Alongside Sudharsan, who played a fluent knock of 49 off 36 balls, Buttler helped GT take control of the chase. After Sudharsan got out, Buttler accelerated further, reaching his half-century off 31 balls. Rutherford also chipped in with quick runs, and GT comfortably chased the target, securing a dominant win.
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