GT crush SRH by 82 runs as Rabada stars

Gujarat Titans beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 82 runs in Match 56 of the Indian Premier League, with Kagiso Rabada producing the decisive spell of 3/28 after Sai Sudharsan’s 61 and Washington Sundar’s 50 powered GT to 168/5. The win continued Gujarat’s late surge in the league phase and flipped a pre-match contest that had SRH as slight favourites.

This was a commanding all-round performance from Gujarat, who had already built momentum with wins in Match 52 and Match 46, and they added another statement result here against a Sunrisers side that had arrived on the back of victory in Match 49. In a league season rather than a bilateral series, the result strengthens GT’s position in Match 56 of 70 and keeps their push moving with more fixtures still to come, including Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, May 13.

Sudharsan and Sundar lift Gujarat after early checks

GT’s innings did not begin fluently. Shubman Gill made 5 from 7 balls and Jos Buttler managed 7 from 11, giving Sunrisers an opening to control the Powerplay. Pat Cummins set the tone with a tight 1/20 from four overs, while Praful Hinge’s 2/17 in three overs kept Gujarat from breaking away too early.

But Sai Sudharsan once again anchored the innings with assurance, striking 61 off 44 balls with five fours and two sixes. He has been one of the tournament’s standout batters, and this was another knock of substance to add to his strong campaign. Around him, Nishant Sindhu injected momentum with 22 from 14 balls, including three fours and a six.

The most important contribution, though, came from Washington Sundar. Batting with control and intent, he made 50 from 33 balls, finding seven fours and a six. His partnership with Sudharsan gave GT the stability they needed after the early wickets, and it turned what looked like a par fight into a distinctly above-par total. Jason Holder added 11 from 10 before Rahul Tewatia struck a boundary in his 4 from 1 ball to help Gujarat finish on 168/5.

For SRH, Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, who returned 2/37 from four overs, were the main wicket-takers, but Eshan Malinga’s 0/46 from four overs proved costly as Gujarat cashed in at the back end.

Rabada and Holder blow Sunrisers away

Chasing 169, Sunrisers never settled. Mohammed Siraj started the collapse by removing Travis Head for 0, and the innings quickly unravelled from there. Abhishek Sharma struck a six in his 6 from 4 balls and Ishan Kishan made 11 from 7, but neither could convert the early intent into anything lasting.

Rabada then took charge. His 3/28 from four overs cut through the middle order and ensured SRH had no route back. Heinrich Klaasen, one of Sunrisers’ most consistent performers this season, was held to 14 from 16 balls, while Ravichandran Smaran made 9 from 15 and Nitish Kumar Reddy fell for 2 from 4. Jason Holder matched Rabada’s impact with 3/20 from four overs, combining bounce and change of pace to leave SRH in disarray.

There was brief resistance from Salil Arora, who made 16 from 13 balls with three fours, and from Cummins, whose 19 from 9 balls included a four and two sixes, but by then the target had long slipped out of reach. Prasidh Krishna’s 2/23 from three overs and Rashid Khan’s 1/3 in 0.5 overs completed the formalities as Sunrisers were bowled out for just 86 in 14.5 overs.

Match-turning moments

The match swung first through GT’s recovery with the bat. After the early dismissals of Gill and Buttler, Sudharsan and Washington ensured the innings did not stall. Their contributions gave Gujarat both a platform and a launchpad, and on a surface where timing was not always easy, 168 already looked challenging.

The decisive phase came in the chase when Sunrisers lost Head early and then failed to string together a stabilising partnership. Rabada and Holder never allowed the middle order to reset, and once Klaasen was unable to counterattack, the innings folded rapidly. SRH’s top order, so often explosive this season, was reduced to scattered cameos rather than a proper chase.

Key performers

Gujarat Titans:
Sai Sudharsan – 61 (44)
Washington Sundar – 50 (33)
Nishant Sindhu – 22 (14)
Kagiso Rabada – 3/28 (4)
Jason Holder – 3/20 (4)
Prasidh Krishna – 2/23 (3)

Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Pat Cummins – 19 (9)
Salil Arora – 16 (13)
Heinrich Klaasen – 14 (16)
Praful Hinge – 2/17 (3)
Pat Cummins – 1/20 (4)
Sakib Hussain – 2/37 (4)

NerdSports Stat: Gujarat Titans made only 12 more boundaries than Sunrisers Hyderabad across the match, but the real gap came in control of the innings: GT used the full 20 overs to reach 168/5, while SRH lost all 10 wickets in just 14.5 overs and never produced a partnership worth 20.

With Match 56 now complete, the IPL league phase rolls on with 14 matches still to be played. Next up is Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, May 13, while Gujarat’s next assignment is against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, May 16 and Sunrisers Hyderabad next meet Chennai Super Kings on Monday, May 18.

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