Mohammed Siraj Shines as Gujarat Titans Defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025
Gujarat Titans Triumph Over RCB
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 3: In a thrilling encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Gujarat Titans secured an impressive 8-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025. Right-arm seamer Mohammed Siraj showcased his exceptional bowling skills, claiming three wickets while allowing only 19 runs in his four-over spell.
Siraj, who previously played for RCB, dismissed Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, and Liam Livingstone, earning him the Player of the Match title for his outstanding performance.
During the post-match interview, Siraj expressed his emotions, stating, “Having spent seven years here, switching from red to blue was significant for me. However, once I got the ball, I felt at ease. As a fan of Ronaldo, my celebration reflected that. I focused on correcting my mistakes during the break and improving my fitness. After joining Gujarat Titans, I consulted with Ashish Bhai, who encouraged me to enjoy my bowling, while Ishu Bhai guided me on my line and length. My approach is to maintain belief, regardless of the pitch conditions.”
In the match, Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to field first. Siraj's early breakthroughs left RCB struggling at 42/4. However, a resilient partnership between Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma (33 off 20 balls) and another between Livingstone (54 runs off 40 balls) and Tim David (32 off 18 balls) helped RCB reach a total of 169/8 in their 20 overs.
Sai Kishore (2/22) and Prasidh Krishna (1/26) also contributed significantly with the ball for GT.
In response, Gujarat Titans faced an early setback with the loss of skipper Shubman Gill (14). Nevertheless, Jos Buttler's explosive innings (73* off 39 balls) and solid contributions from Sai Sudharsan (49 off 36 balls) and Sherfane Rutherford (30* off 18 balls) propelled GT to victory with 13 balls remaining and eight wickets in hand.
Siraj's remarkable bowling earned him the 'Player of the Match' accolade.
Currently, RCB holds the third position in the points table with two wins and one loss, totaling four points, while GT is just below them with the same record.