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Sai Sudharsan Makes History, But RCB Prevail in Run-Fest
In a dazzling display of power-hitting under pressure, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) chased down 206 with seven balls to spare, defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. While Sai Sudharsan became the fastest player to 2000 IPL runs and notched a brilliant 100, it was Virat Kohli’s 81 off 44 and Devdutt Padikkal’s explosive 55 off 27 that carried RCB over the line.
GT Build Strong Foundation, But Lose Late Momentum
Winning the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first — a decision that looked promising early as the pitch offered variable bounce. But Sai Sudharsan weathered the tricky conditions, anchoring the innings with composure. He was cautious early, scoring 17 off 16, but accelerated sharply, reaching 41 off 27 by the end of the powerplay.
Shubman Gill, at the other end, was largely starved of strike, facing just three balls in the first three overs. The duo added 128 runs in 12.4 overs, with Gill contributing 32 off 24 before holing out to long-on off Suyash Sharma.
Sudharsan got inventive after the powerplay, upper-cutting Romario Shepherd for six, slog-sweeping Krunal Pandya to reach 2000 IPL runs in just 47 innings — the fastest in league history, surpassing Chris Gayle. He brought up his century off 57 balls, the slowest hundred of IPL 2025 so far, but fell on the very next delivery, leaving GT at 170 for 2 after 16.
RCB Rein In the Death Overs
RCB’s bowlers clamped down in the final few overs. Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Josh Hazlewood conceded only 17 runs in three overs combined. The final over was chaos: Rasikh Salam had to retire hurt due to cramps before bowling a ball. Krunal Pandya replaced him, was hit for a six by Jason Holder, and then suffered a groin strain mid-over — but bravely completed it, leaking 18 runs. GT finished at 205 for 3.
Early Stumble, Then the Kohli-Padikkal Blitz
With Phil Salt injured, Jacob Bethell entered as Impact Player and opened the batting. He survived a scare — an inside edge off Kagiso Rabada just avoided the stumps — and raced to 14 off 10 before holing out trying to repeat a cross-bat shot.
Kohli, on strike next, was dropped on zero at short midwicket off Siraj — a miss GT would rue. He responded ferociously, launching Rabada over mid-on for four and never looking back. Padikkal was even more destructive, launching his innings with a first-ball six off a 153.6 kph delivery, clearing square leg.
The duo added 115 off just 59 balls, capitalizing on loose lines and poor bowling into their pads. Rashid Khan was taken for 21 in two overs, including sixes from both batters. Padikkal reached his fifty in just 20 balls, making Kohli’s 30-ball fifty seem sedate by comparison.
Wobble, Then Calm from Krunal
After Padikkal and Kohli fell, RCB lost three quick wickets, slipping to 175 for 5 with 31 needed off 24. But Krunal Pandya, despite injury concerns, stood tall. He smashed Manav Suthar for 18 in the 18th over — two fours and a six — reducing the equation to seven off 12. He sealed the win in style, hitting Holder through midwicket and easing a pull shot to fine leg to finish undefeated on 18.
In the end, despite Sudharsan’s milestone and GT’s solid total, RCB’s top-order firepower proved too much. Another thrilling IPL night at Chinnaswamy — and another statement from Kohli and Padikkal.
