So in the end, Gujarat Titans didnāt just win⦠they dominated. Gillās brilliance. Sudharsanās fluency. Tewatiaās late fireworks. Rashidās destruction. Holderās finish. It was a complete performance from a team that looked sharp in every department. Rajasthan had moments. Vaibhavās fearless start. Jurelās aggression. Jadejaās resistance. But cricket is cruel when wickets keep falling. And against a side like Gujarat, gifting 19 extras is basically sending them a thank-you card before the match even ends. GT walked away with a huge 77-run victory to improve their NRR as well, and honestly⦠they earned every bit of it. Cricket gave us entertainment tonight. Gujarat gave us control. And Rajasthan? They gave us chaos with a side of wides.
In the IPL next, we will get to see a doubleheader on Sunday, 10th May. Firstly, Chennai Super Kings will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their home, Chennai, and then Royal Challengers Bengaluru will lock horns with Mumbai Indians in Raipur. Another two exciting matches are on the cards for us.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Ajay Pal Singh, Darpan Tikiya, scorers Paras Yadav and Manish Bishnoi, and statistician Aman. Also, a special thanks to our helping buddy, AkshayaKrishna Polya, for chipping in whenever needed. Thatās it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesnāt sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Rashid Khan (Player of the Match): (On being more consistent this season) "Iām quite happy. The last two seasons were unusual for me, but this season has been more about enjoying myself and consistently hitting the right areas. Iām happy with that so far.
(On returning from injury and regaining rhythm)After my surgery, I took only two months to get back onto the field. At that time, I made a huge mistake by coming back too soon. Last year, when the IPL was over, I took two to three months off and worked on my fitness. The rhythm I bowl with through the crease was something I was missing. I had a good Hundred competition, and then I carried that confidence into this tournament. The moment I bowled the first ball here, I felt there was something for me.
(On his bowling approach and hitting the right areas) Pace variation was something I was trying to mix up. If I miss the stumps, it becomes easy for batters to take singles or hit boundaries. I wanted to attack the stumps more consistently. I also had a feeling that if I pitched the ball in the right area, there would be help from the surface. The moment the ball left my hand, I knew there was something in it for me.
(On learning from Indian spinners and sharing experiences) Itās really good to have experienced players around you. Weāve been together for a long time. When I come here, we have good conversations about how to bowl at different venues in India, and I also share my international experiences with them.
(On modern cricket and Sai Kishoreās development) Modern cricket demands more variations. Sai Kishore is working really hard on his variations and also on his wrong āun. Iām looking forward to seeing that in matches."
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: RASHID KHAN
Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans captain): "(Are they getting close to having the 'perfect performance'?) Even before this match, we had conversation, that till now we have not played the perfect match. Tonight, it is a clean win. I think we made 10-15 runs extra. There was something for the spinners. It was not easy to hit boundaries. The ball gripping a bit. We knew if we get a couple of wickets in the powerplay, we'll be good.
(Could they have scored more and got to, say, 250?) We thought that too (when Gill and Sudharsan were batting). We said lets keep the bowlers under pressure and see where we get. But it was not easy to hit the spinners. There was a phase when we did not get boundaries. But we recovered well.
(On bowling Siraj and Rabada through the powerplay) If we take wickets up front, it gives the bowlers the chance to attack more in the middle overs. With the impact player, and the kind of pitches we have, you can only win if you look to take wickets.
(What's next?) Very happy. Next game is at home. Hopefully, another good match.
(On his apparent injury while he was batting) I twisted my ankle a bit. It was painful, but it settled after half an hour."
Most Dot Balls in the Match: Rashid Khan (12 Dots)
Most Fours in the Match: Shubman Gill (9 Fours)
Most Sixes in the Match: Shubman Gill (3 Maximums)
Super Striker of the Match: Dhruv Jurel (SR 240)
11:20 PM IST, Local Time: Murali Kartik is ready with the post-match presentation...