Rajasthan Royals reached 166 for 5 in 16.1 overs against Gujarat Titans, with the innings still carrying strong momentum despite a late dip. Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 42 off 28 balls, holding the innings together as wickets fell around him.
The platform was built earlier in the innings, and Rajasthan maintained a run rate above 10. However, the last five overs brought 59 runs along with four wickets, showing how Gujarat pulled things back in the middle phase.
Rabada strikes, but RR keep pushing
Kagiso Rabada led the attack with two wickets, including the dismissal of Donovan Ferreira, caught by Glenn Phillips. Ferreira’s stay was brief, but his wicket added pressure just as Rajasthan looked to accelerate again.
Rabada’s spell kept Gujarat in the contest, even as the batting side looked set for a total above 200 earlier. The Titans stayed disciplined with their lengths, especially at the death, to avoid a complete late surge.
Ashok Sharma’s pace grabs attention
The standout feature of the innings came from Ashok Sharma, who touched speeds of 154 kmph — the fastest delivery of the season so far. His pace and accuracy in the death overs created problems for the batters, even if the wickets did not always come his way.
Sharma bowled at full pace, repeatedly targeting the yorker length. His efforts forced errors and restricted easy scoring options, even as Rajasthan managed to find boundaries through calculated risks.
At one stage, Ashok also picked up a wicket and looked in control before picking up a finger injury while fielding. The physio attended to him, and the ball was changed during the break, adding a brief pause to the contest.
Rajasthan eye finish despite late slowdown
With wickets in hand earlier, Rajasthan had aimed for 210-plus, but the late wickets have slowed that push. Jurel’s role becomes crucial in the final overs as Rajasthan look to push closer to a competitive total, while Gujarat will hope Rabada and Ashok can keep the scoring in check.