Rabada, Holder rip Hyderabad apart as Gujarat march to win

Jason Holder and Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball as Gujarat Titans (GT) dismantled Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 82 runs in a one-sided clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

After Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar guided GT to a competitive 168/5 with composed half-centuries, Rabada and Holder combined to rip through Hyderabad’s batting line-up and bowl the visitors out for just 86 in 14.5 overs.

The chase never truly took off after Mohammed Siraj delivered a sensational opening over. The fast bowler removed Travis Head for a duck in a wicket maiden, forcing an early collapse. Rabada then took over and struck twice in his first two overs despite conceding sixes to Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Abhishek dragged one back onto his stumps, while Kishan edged behind to leave SRH reeling at 23/3.

Smaran Ravichandran and Heinrich Klaasen attempted to steady the innings with a few boundaries, but Rabada continued to exploit the helpful surface with pace and movement. He dismissed Smaran in the sixth over to complete an outstanding spell of 4-0-28-3 as Hyderabad slumped to 34/4 in the powerplay.

Klaasen and Salil Arora briefly resisted during the middle overs, but Holder extinguished any hopes of a recovery with a superb spell. The West Indies all-rounder first removed Klaasen, who miscued a pull shot to Jos Buttler, before dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivang Kumar in quick succession.

Holder’s disciplined lengths and clever variations earned him figures of 4-0-20-3 and ensured SRH never got close to the required run rate. Prasidh Krishna then chipped in with two wickets, including that of Pat Cummins, before Rashid Khan sealed the emphatic victory with the final wicket.

Earlier, GT recovered impressively after a difficult start, with Sudharsan and Sundar producing crucial knocks under pressure. Pat Cummins and Praful Hinge kept the hosts in check during the powerplay and removed Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler cheaply as GT crawled to 34/2 after six overs.

Sudharsan once again anchored the innings with maturity and fluency. The left-hander absorbed the early pressure before shifting gears with a series of crisp drives and clean hits down the ground. He brought up his fifty with a sweep off Shivang Kumar and continued to hold the innings together.

Nishant Sindhu provided useful support with a brisk cameo before Cummins struck to break the partnership. Washington Sundar then took charge in the latter stages alongside Sudharsan. The left-hander found boundaries consistently against both pace and spin, while Sudharsan completed a composed 61 off 44 deliveries before falling to Sakib Hussain.

Sundar carried the momentum into the final overs and brought up a valuable fifty off 33 balls before being dismissed in the last over. Late contributions from Jason Holder and Rahul Tewatia pushed the Titans to 168, a total that proved far too much for SRH on a challenging surface.

Meanwhile, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are on course to script one of the greatest comebacks in IPL history after the three-time champions reignited their playoff hopes with a stunning turnaround in IPL 2026.

After struggling in the early half of the season and staying near the bottom of the points table, KKR have bounced back strongly with four consecutive victories to emerge as serious contenders for a top-four finish.

“KKR have won four matches in a row. Their team balance is looking solid. The spin attack has regained its bite, and the batting unit is firing consistently. They are peaking at the right time, which is what matters most in a long tournament,” Bangar told Jio Hotstar.

“Teams that build momentum towards the business end often go deep into the playoffs. KKR are in a very good space right now. That’s why their playoff probability has gone up significantly,” he added.

Bangar further stated that Kolkata’s remaining fixtures could define one of the most memorable turnarounds seen in the league.

“If they win their remaining four games, they will pull off one of the greatest comebacks in IPL history. From the bottom of the table to the top four, that would be a remarkable turnaround. It will take a special effort, but with the form they are in, it looks possible,” he said.

Bangar also reflected on the shifting dynamics of the playoff race following Punjab Kings’ defeat to Delhi Capitals, saying the result has complicated Punjab’s hopes of securing a top-two finish.

Agencies