Our Titans from the South, Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh Khan stood tall with fine knocks, but it was a day when things didn’t go our way as we succumbed to a nine-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the TATA IPL 2024 at the Home of Gujarat Titans, Ahmedabad.

Asked to bat first, we were on the right path with both Sai Su and Shahrukh leading the charge from the front. Both Titans notched up fine half-centuries while Agent Miller provided some entertainment at the death to push us to 200 for three in our 20 overs. However, the visitors’ batsmen showed some fine application and chased the target in 16 overs.

Titans from the South

If Captain Gill and Wridhi dada won’t get you, then our Tamil paiyans will. RCB got a first-hand taste of the damage they can inflict as they capitalised on the good batting conditions and went hammer and tongs to help the team post a massive target.

Joining forces early in the innings, both played the ball on its merit and bided their time before punishing the visitors after getting their eye in. While Sai Su continued his fine form for the season to anchor the innings, Shahrukh – promoted up the order – took the spinners on with aplomb. The Tamil Nadu pair added 86 runs for the third wicket. 

Shahrukh was the more destructive of the two as the 28-year-old went after Glenn Maxwell, Karn Sharma, and Cameron Green. He brought up his maiden TATA IPL 50 in quick time. His innings included three boundaries and five maximum, one among them helping him past the landmark figure. Though Shahrukh would depart before the death overs, Sai Su, along with David Miller, continued in the same vein to add 69 off 36 balls and take us to 200.

With a mammoth target behind them, our bowlers took the fight to the RCB batters. R Sai Kishore got the better of Faf du Plessis in the fourth over. But that was the only success that came our way as the Orange Cap holder, Virat Kohli, and Will Jacks built a good partnership. After a steady start, the duo accelerated to help RCB chase down the target and record a win on their first visit to the Home of Gujarat Titans.