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Earlier in the season, Rashid Khan candidly admitted that Gujarat Titans did not possess the most intimidating middle order in the IPL, a weakness that could eventually hurt them. But he also pointed out that GT’s bowling attack was superior to most teams in the competition. On Tuesday night in Ahmedabad, Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj delivered a chilling reminder of exactly what Rashid meant.
GT vs SRH, IPL 2026: Scorecard | Highlights
The Titans’ batting may not always overwhelm opponents with brute force, but their bowlers have repeatedly found ways to suffocate teams under pressure. Sunrisers Hyderabad became the latest victims as Rabada and Siraj unleashed absolute havoc in the powerplay, scripting an 82-run demolition that pushed SRH to their lowest total in IPL history.
Defending 168 on a surface that has heavily favoured teams batting first this season, Gujarat knew early wickets would tilt the game decisively in their favour. Rabada and Siraj ensured there was no escape route for Hyderabad, reducing them to 34 for three in the powerplay with relentless pace, movement and hostility. From that point, the chase felt less like a contest and more like survival.
The victory also carried huge significance in the playoff race. Gujarat surged to 16 points, historically the magic number in a 10-team IPL season, with no side ever failing to qualify for the playoffs after reaching that mark. With their fearsome pace attack peaking at the right time, the Titans are beginning to look like a side no team would want to face in the knockout stages.
HOW SIRAJ, RABADA ROCKED
They say the morning shows the day, and for the Titans, the signs were clear from the very first over. Mohammed Siraj set the tone with a fiery wicket-maiden, removing the dangerous Travis Head and instantly putting the Sunrisers on the back foot. Remarkably, Siraj has now picked up four wickets in the first over of innings in IPL 2026, underlining how often he has given the Titans the perfect start.
Then came Rabada, charging in with menace and intensity. Abhishek Sharma welcomed him with a towering six off the very first ball, but Rabada responded like elite fast bowlers do, with hostility and a wicket in the same over.
Abhishek’s dismissal had an element of fortune as the ball hit inside edge and then ricocheted off the pads and rolled back onto the stumps as the SRH opener looked in dismay. But Rabada had earned that luck through sheer aggression and relentless pace. As the saying goes, fortune favours the brave.
Ishan Kishan tried a similar counterattack, launching Rabada for another huge six early in the spell. Yet again, the South African had the final word, drawing a faint outside edge to send Kishan back. Siraj then tightened the screws further, pinning down Smaran Ravichandran with a stream of dot balls and nearly delivering a second maiden over in the powerplay before a single off the final ball denied him.
Rabada soon returned to remove Ravichandran as well, putting the Titans on top. By the time the powerplay damage was done, Gujarat had already pushed Hyderabad into survival mode, leaving bowlers like Jason Holder and the rest with little more to do than complete the formalities.
TEST MATCH LENGTH DOING THE TRICK
Both Siraj and Rabada have built their reputations in Test cricket, and it was that red-ball discipline that proved devastating for the Titans. Rather than chasing magic deliveries, the pace duo relentlessly attacked disciplined Test match lengths, forcing SRH batters into mistakes even during the chaos of the powerplay.
After the match, Sai Kishore credited Siraj and Rabada for sticking to the basics. He also praised captain Shubman Gill and coach Ashish Nehra for giving the fast bowlers absolute clarity about their plans with the new ball.
“I think Siraj and Rabada have been hitting their lengths really well. That’s the advantage of having proper Test-match bowlers in your line-up. We’ve also been guided brilliantly by Shubman Gill and Ashish Nehra in terms of our bowling philosophy and the lengths we need to bowl in the powerplay,” Kishore said in the post-match press conference.
“On wickets like these, we haven’t relied too much on slower balls or yorkers. Instead, we’ve trusted hard lengths and good areas consistently. I think that proper Test-match style of bowling has made a huge difference for us this season,” Kishore added.
With Siraj and Rabada breathing fire, the Titans have moved ever so close to sealing a playoff berth. But GT would know better than to relax at this stage. Last season, they looked set for a top-two finish and the cushion of two shots at reaching the final, only to lose two matches on the trot and slip out of the top two altogether.
The Titans now face Kolkata Knight Riders next at the Eden Gardens, and they will hope their premier pace duo continues to peak at the business end of the tournament. If Siraj and Rabada keep bowling with this kind of menace and control, Gujarat will only grow more intimidating as the playoffs draw nearer.
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