Gujarat Titans bowler Kagiso Rabada pointed to steady, test-style bowling as key. Instead of rushing, he said waiting paid off against Sunrisers Hyderabad. That mindset helped fuel an 82-run triumph on Tuesday. Up ahead in the standings now sits Gujarat, leading the IPL 2026 chart in the latest cricket news.
Chasing 168/5, the Gujarat Titans tore through Hyderabad’s batting lineup, reducing them to 86 in barely fifteen overs. Three wickets came from Rabada, who gave away only 28 runs. Jason Holder followed close behind, picking up 3/20.
Mohammed Siraj added balance, taking 1/11. Bowling like that leaves little room for comfort. A total so low feels almost accidental. Every delivery carried pressure. The scoreboard hardly moved before it was done.
Kagiso Rabada praises simplicity and patience
After the game ended, Rabada noted how Gujarat’s bowling attack took cues from what SRH had done before, sticking to a steady line and length. Rather than chasing wickets wildly, they kept their rhythm, much like SRH did earlier in the day.
Their approach stayed rooted in repetition, mirroring the visitors’ method without copying it exactly. What stood out was how each delivery built pressure slowly, just as the Sunrisers showed possible under similar skies. Instead of relying on raw pace alone, the team leaned into control, shaping spells that echoed prior success.
“Season in, season out, all you try to do is do the best you can. I have been backed, and it has been clear what my role has been - leave everything out for the team. Rhythm is everything,” Rabada said after the match.
Brief moments after the question landed, the South African fast bowler nodded firmly - lengths mattered most out there.
“They showed how to bowl on it, and we tried to follow suit. The wicket got a little stickier, and patience and simplicity worked,” he explained.
Besides his own performance, Rabada pointed out how crucial it is to adjust when the game changes. Each bowler has a unique edge - knowing that makes a difference. Not every pitch plays the same, yet reading those differences matters just as much.
“It is about bowling as much as I can, but also preserving myself to be match-ready. You need to find out the kind of pitch you are playing on and bowl accordingly,” he said.
“We each have our own natural attributes, and it is about seeing how much you can extract without looking too far ahead. If your strength is not working, then you can look at something else,” he added.
What stood out was how well the GT captain saw his team adjust. Not just that, their bowlers delivered sharp, focused spells. All of it came together under pressure.
“We bowled very well. We knew if we bowled well, we would always be in the game. We spoke about whether we got anywhere near 160-170, it would not be easy for them with our bowling attack,” Gill said.
“The way Sai and Washy batted to get us close to 170 was crucial. We are not a team that believes in playing a particular brand of cricket; we assess the conditions and adapt,” he added.
Pat Cummins said his team didn’t stick to tight lines nearly enough. Instead of holding control, they let moments slip; GT’s bowlers stepped up hard, making every chance count.
“We were pretty happy when we walked off because it was a tricky wicket, but they bowled really well. Maybe we could have held our lengths a little longer,” Cummins said.
“That is as good a T20 bowling performance as you can see. Our batting has been fantastic, so we are not reading too much into this,” he added.
Cummins told his team to leave the crushing loss behind without delay.
“This happens in T20 cricket. We now go to venues we know well, and we will take confidence from the wins we have had. It is about going back to what worked for us and putting this behind us quickly,” he said.
