GT's fast-bowling trio of Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Jason Holder delivered strong performances on a pitch that provided good bounce and seam movement, reducing PBKS to 47 for 5. Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis helped PBKS recover to a score of 163 for 9, a target that suited GT's batting style. B Sai Sudarsan's composed half-century set a solid foundation, but GT’s scoring rate remained steady, aligning with their required rate throughout the chase. In a surprising twist, they found themselves needing 11 runs off the final over. Washington Sundar clinched the win with a six on the second-to-last ball, but it could have easily turned into a loss for GT. The main takeaway was that GT secured their third win in a row by tightly controlling the game with their bowling and effectively chasing down targets under 170, thanks to strong contributions from a couple of their top three batsmen. The pitch was made of black soil and had a good layer of grass, favoring bowlers who bowled on hard lengths. From the very first ball, it was clear that bowlers would thrive. Siraj's first delivery almost led to a catch, as Priyansh Arya misplayed a pull shot that just eluded Jos Buttler, who sprinted from behind the stumps. The second ball brought the first wicket as Arya attempted a big shot but lost control due to the extra bounce, leading to a catch at deep third. Siraj struck again with his next delivery, getting some swing to trap left-handed Cooper Connolly, who edged it to the keeper. Rabada matched Siraj’s skills at the other end, and both bowlers restricted PBKS during the powerplay, with Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer struggling to keep up their usual scoring pace. Rabada’s superb sixth over included the wicket of Prabhsimran, who was caught off a fast ball, and he bowled four consecutive dot balls to Nehal Wadhera, including one that narrowly missed the edge and a bouncer that went past the helmet. PBKS had their lowest powerplay score since IPL 2025, ending at 35 for 3. Having a tall fast bowler on a lively pitch is a great advantage. Holder, standing four inches taller than Rabada, made his mark in the seventh over by finding an edge from Wadhera. He then bowled Shreyas in the ninth over with a ball that nipped back in, leaving PBKS in deep trouble at five wickets down. Suryansh Shedge scored a quick half-century off 24 balls. In GT’s last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), left-arm spinner Manav Suthar didn’t bowl at all. Given the fast bowlers’ success on Sunday, GT might have chosen not to use him again, but a poor 13th over from left-arm seamer Arshad Khan, which went for 16 runs, may have led to Suthar’s introduction in the 14th over. Unfortunately, Suthar had a disastrous over, starting with a single, followed by two bad deliveries, a wide full toss, and another bad ball. Shedge took advantage, hitting sixes and fours, scoring 27 runs in that over, which helped PBKS aim for a respectable total. This over highlighted a ...
