Gujarat Titans scored 75 runs in the last five overs to beat Rajasthan Royals by three wickets in the Indian Premier League 2024. RR were ahead for most of the game, but Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan took the match away from the hosts and won the contest for the 2022 champions. Former India player Harbhajan Singh slammed RR captain Sanju Samson and other players for their first defeat in the 17th season.

He said RR lost due to slow over rate. Rajasthan had consumed the allotted time before the 20th over and was allowed four instead of five fielders outside the 30-yard circle because of the penalty. Bhajji felt that was the game-changing moment.

“Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan batted well for the Gujarat Titans, but I feel Rajasthan lost the match before the start of the 20th over. Due to the slow over rate, they were allowed only four instead of five players outside the thirty yard circle. This made their situation bad, as one more fielder outside the circle would have made all the difference.

“The GT batters could hit boundaries and take double because of RR’s mistake of not bowling the overs on time. This is the basic need of a cricket match, and their mistake proved costly. Nobody would have thought a team would suffer a defeat if they didn’t bowl overs on time, but it happened with the Royals today. The teams must remember that they will pay a heavy price if they don’t respect the allotted time frame,’ Harbhajan Singh said.

When the Sanju Samson-led team scored 196/3, many thought they had enough to win the fifth game on the trot. Riyan Parag and Samson scored fifties. GT kept losing wickets at regular intervals, and when their captain, Shubman Gill, departed, it seemed that RR would easily clinch the win. However, Rashid (24 off 11), Tewatia (22 off 11), and Shahrukh (14 off 8) sealed the match in their team’s favor.

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