In the latest action of the Indian Premier League (IPL) held on Tuesday, defending champions Gujarat Titans delivered a dominant all-round performance to secure their fifth consecutive victory, crushing Sunrisers Hyderabad by an 82-run margin and leapfrogging to the top of the tournament’s points table. Former West Indies international captain Jason Holder was the standout among the bowlers, finishing with exceptional figures of three wickets conceded for just 20 runs, tearing through Hyderabad’s batting line-up early and putting the result beyond doubt.
The match, played at Titans’ home ground in Ahmedabad, saw Gujarat win the toss and choose to set a target batting first. The opening pair got the hosts off to a flying start, with left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan producing a blistering innings of 61 runs off only 44 deliveries, setting the platform for a competitive total. All-rounder Washington Sundar picked up where Sudharsan left off, scoring a quick-fire half-century off 33 balls to accelerate the innings in the death overs. Holder remained not out at the close, contributing an unbeaten 11 runs off 10 deliveries to help Gujarat post a final total of 168 runs for the loss of five wickets at the end of their 20 overs.
Chasing a target of 169 to win, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings collapsed almost immediately. By the end of just the fourth over, the side was reeling at 23 runs for the loss of three top-order wickets, and they never recovered from the early shock. Holder combined with South African quick Kagiso Rabada, who was named Player of the Match for his disruptive bowling, to dismantle Hyderabad’s batting order. Rabada matched Holder’s three-wicket haul, finishing with 3 wickets for 28 runs, while seamer Prasidh Krishna chipped in with two key wickets for only 23 runs. Australian captain Pat Cummins, who came in lower down the order, ended as Hyderabad’s top scorer with just 19 runs, as the entire side was bowled out for only 86 runs. The emphatic win cements Gujarat Titans’ status as the form team of this season’s IPL, extending their unbeaten run and putting them clear at the top of the table ahead of the play-off phase.