Smiles spread across Jos Buttler's face once the Gujarat Titans edged past the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets. Victory felt good, especially against last year’s titleholders. What made it count, a steady hand during a tense run-chase under pressure. Thursday’s showdown delivered just that, nerves held firm when they mattered most. Two more points banked, momentum quietly building toward the IPL 2026 knockout stage.

One run at a time, the Gujarat Titans stumbled through their chase of 156. Still, Shubman Gill lit up the innings fast - 43 from just 18 deliveries as captain. Alongside him, Jos Buttler struck 39 in 19 balls, sharp and sudden. Then came Rahul Tewatia, calm at the end, closing it out with 27 not out. They reached the target with four wickets left to spare.

"That broke the back of the chase”: Jos Buttler praises Shubman Gill

That win was the fifth time Gujarat Titans had triumphed this season, holding on to a chance at the playoffs. Meanwhile, RCB held firm in second place with 12 points even after coming up short.

“Yeah, massive two points for us. We’re in that scenario where we need to catch up with teams ahead of us, and we play a lot of them as well. So, a really important win,” Jos Buttler said after the match, highlighting the timing of the result.

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Early wickets by Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada helped keep RCB quiet, even though the pitch favoured batters. Catches stayed in hand this time around - small detail, big impact. Fielding sharper than before made the real change stand out.

That calmness under pressure, Shubman Gill showed exactly that when facing Bhuvneshwar Kumar, right from the start. Buttler pointed out how rare it is to see such control mixed with bold shot-making from a captain. Confidence spreads fast; once the top order delivers, others follow without thinking twice. His clarity in tough moments made the run-chase feel lighter than expected.

Gill gave credit to the bowlers who held RCB below 160. Their sharper movement on the ground stood out, something he pointed to with quiet satisfaction. When things slipped at the start, they found a way back - not perfect, mind you. Dropping too many wickets while chasing wasn’t ideal; he conceded that much.

RCB's skipper Rajat Patidar admitted their batting didn’t deliver. Not quite enough runs on board, yet how they bowled gave some hope, he noted. Because of Gill going hard early, things tilted quickly against them. Still, pushing the match close felt like progress. Praise came easily for the opponent’s strong start.

Midway through the innings, too many quick dismissals troubled Patidar. Still, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s three wickets lifted spirits. A seasoned hand in T20s, his sharp start made the difference. Each match now stands on its own. Progress comes piece by piece.