Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford stitched together a dazzling 119-run stand as Gujarat Titans (GT) chased down Delhi Capitals' imposing 203/8 with seven wickets in hand and four balls to spare in a high-octane IPL clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Saturday.
Chasing 204, GT lost skipper Shubman Gill early, run out for 7, thanks to Karun Nair’s sharp direct hit. But that was as good as it got for Delhi.
Sai Sudharsan and Buttler then counterattacked in style. Sudharsan unleashed a flurry of crisp boundaries, including consecutive fours off Mitchell Starc and Mukesh Kumar, even hoisting Axar Patel for a soaring six over fine leg. The pair brought up their 50-run stand in the sixth over.
Sudharsan eventually fell for a fluent 36 (21 balls), caught off Kuldeep Yadav attempting a pull, but GT were already motoring at 74/2 in the 8th over. Buttler, meanwhile, shifted gears seamlessly. He tore into Starc in the 15th over, smashing five boundaries in a row, the last of which saw him grimacing in pain, possibly cramps, but unfazed in timing.
Rutherford, on the other end, provided powerful support. After hammering Kuldeep and Mohit Sharma for sixes, he clubbed a 91-metre monster over square leg. He eventually perished for 43 (34), caught by Starc off Mukesh Kumar, bringing an end to the game-defining 119-run partnership.
With 11 needed off the final over, the ever-dependable Rahul Tewatia finished in vintage style. Starc’s first delivery was walloped for a massive six over deep midwicket, and the next, an in-swinging yorker, was inside-edged past leg-stump to the fine leg fence. A hug from Buttler and beaming smiles followed, as GT romped home with four balls to spare.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals posted a competitive 203/8, powered by breezy knocks from Karun Nair (31 off 18), Axar Patel (39 off 32) and a blistering late cameo by Ashutosh Sharma (37 off 19). Abishek Porel gave them a flying start, but it was Prasidh Krishna’s timely four-wicket haul that prevented DC from surging past 220.
Gujarat’s bowling was erratic at times, with Siraj and Rashid Khan struggling for control. Krishna, however, kept pulling Delhi back into the contest with wickets at crucial junctures, including Axar and Nair, while also surviving an injury scare after a fierce Ashutosh flick.
But the night belonged to Buttler, who remained unbeaten on 97 off 54 balls, with 11 fours and 4 sixes, a masterclass in measured aggression.
With this win, GT bolstered their playoff hopes, while DC were left rueing a wasted opportunity after posting 200-plus.(UNI)
Brief Scores: DC 203/8 in 20 overs (Axar Patel 39, Ashutosh Sharma 37; Prasidh Krishna 4/41)
GT 204/3 in 19.2 overs (Buttler 97 no, Rutherford 43; Kuldeep 1/30)
