Hosts Gujarat Titans (GT) registered an easy 38-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday night (May 2) in Ahmedabad to move closer to a playoff berth in IPL 2025.

After posting 224/6, Gujarat kept Hyderabad to 186/6. Abhishek Sharma top-scored for SRH with 74 off 41 balls.

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The win pushed GT to second in the standings with 14 points from 10 games, while SRH remained at ninth with six points from 10 outings.

Prasidh shines again

Prasidh once again excelled with the ball for GT, finishing with excellent figures of 2/19 in 4 overs. The only cause of concern for GT during the match came when Ishant Sharma limped off the ground after failing to complete the final over.

SRH, though, meant business at the start of their innings as Mohammed Siraj (2/33) went for 22 runs in his first two overs, while Ishant conceded 20 in his first two.

However, a spectacular catch in the deep by Rashid Khan ended Travis Head’s innings after he covered a lot of ground to reach the ball, having run from deep square leg and then change his direction to judge it to perfection.

Ishan Kishan got out for 13 after consuming 17 balls, as the required rate went over 14.

Despite the presence of Abhishek and Heinrich Klaasen in the middle for SRH, the match was already in GT’s bag thanks to the asking rate that had gone past 16.

Meanwhile, an upset Gill engaged in an animated chat with the two umpires over a review call involving Abhishek, who was seen trying to calm the GT captain.

Gill, Buttler hit fifties

Earlier, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler fired in unison with their explosive batting to propel Gujarat Titans to 224 for six.

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Gill blazed away to a 38-ball 76, while Sudharsan chipped in with a breezy 23-ball 48 while forging an opening stand of 87 runs in just 6.5 overs, following which Buttler took GT past 200 with his 64 off 37 deliveries.

Jaydev Unadkat (3/35) picked up three wickets in the 20th over that went for 12 runs.

Sent in to bat, skipper Gill got the innings underway for GT when he flicked a loose Mohammed Shami delivery over deep square leg for a six.

Having conceded 11 runs in the first over, Shami looked off-colour as Sudharsan dispatched the seamer for five boundaries, including four on the trot.

SRH captain Pat Cummins brought himself into the attack, but the carnage continued as Gill launched into his opposite number, first greeting him with a cover drive and then playing an even better shot through the gap between mid-off and cover.

It was a forgettable start for Cummins as Gill smoked the Australian speedster for a maximum over deep mid-wicket to collect 17 from that over.

The best part of their game was that both Gill and Sudharsan were toying with the SRH bowlers without taking any risks and instead relied on class to get the runs.

Gujarat score 82 in powerplay

GT amassed 82 runs in the power play, following which spin was introduced in the form of Zeeshan Ali and the leg-spinner gave his team a much-needed breakthrough by having Sudharsan caught by keeper Heinrich Klaasen off a googly.

In the company of Buttler, Gill continued at the same pace and reached his half-century with a beautiful drive through extra cover for a four, taking 25 balls to get to his fifty.

Buttler also looked in good nick and smashed Ansari straight down the ground for a six, and three balls later, the Englishman crossed 4000 runs in IPL.

Worse was in store for SRH as Cummins dropped Gill after Harshal Patel deceived the batter with a slower ball. Gill was on 66.

However, the GT captain did not last long thereafter as he was run out following a throw by Harshal at short fine-leg and Klaasen, instead of catching the ball deflected it onto the stumps. The TV umpire took his time before ruling in favour of SRH.

Buttler then propped up GT with his power-hitting.

(With agency inputs)