CHENNAI: It was not like Gujarat Titans did not know what they needed to do. A quickfire start from openers, followed by a solid middle-act was the need of the hour for the 2022 Indian Premier League winners. They had struggled to do that all through 2025 and the trend had continued in the first two games of the season. On Wednesday, however, their top heavy batting line-up stepped up to the plate against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to post 210/4 before securing a one-run win in a thriller.
From the outset, the total posted may not be on par with league average but Delhi is not the best of batting grounds in the tournament. And more importantly, it is a much better show thanks to Jos Buttler who set the tone in the first half of the match. Shubman Gill had a scratchy start before picking up to score a 45-ball 70 holding the innings, but Washington Sundar built on the platform to smash his first fifty of the tournament in his tenth year. His 32-ball 55 proved the finishing touch even though Titans could not capitalise in the death overs.
Whether the effort was enough or not was something only time will tell, but Titans will take heart from the fact that three of their four important batters found runs. Buttler more than anyone else. Coming into the tournament, the Englishman could not buy a run. He looked like a shadow of himself through the T20 World Cup and questions remained over his place and form when the league began. He got starts in the first two games, but B Sai Sudharsan's early dismissal on Wednesday meant Buttler could kick on in the powerplay. And he did not take long. It started with a six down the ground off Mukesh Kumar before hitting consecutive boundaries against Axar Patel. Buttler made it better when Mukesh was hit for two sixes and a four in a span of three balls. Titans were up and running, and so was Buttler who raced to a 24-ball fifty in the seventh over.
Gill, meanwhile, could not time the ball early on, especially against pacers. Titans skipper, who was dropped from India's T20I team before the WC, was struggling. It helped that Buttler took pressure off him first and Washington thereafter. At one point, Gill was on 17 from 16 balls and his breakaway shot came against Kuldeep Yadav in the tenth over — a slog sweep for six. It allowed him to breathe while Washington manipulated the field to pick up boundaries.
Billed as a genuine batting all-rounder, Washington had not gotten consistent chances in the top four and when he did, the TN star did not make the most of it. Wednesday, however, was a different story as Washington pulled T Natarajan before taking Vipraj Nigam to cleaners — two sixes and as many fours came off that one over as Titans gained momentum. Gill also joined the race, but Delhi's quality bowlers kept the duo in check. Between overs 12-16, Titans could manage only one boundary an over, adding 35 runs. Though Gill tried to hit Kuldeep for two sixes, Lungi Ngidi proved to be a game changer. Capitals conceded only 28 runs in the last three, keeping Titans to 210/4.
Historically, Titans operate in such a way that one of the their top three bats through before backing their bowling line-up to defend the total. On Wednesday, KL Rahul (92) and David Miller (41 n.o) threatened to take it away but GT prevailed.
