Top 5 knocks in RR-GT matches in IPL history ft. Jos Buttler
Two of the most consistent sides in the IPL since 2022, the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be up against each other in Jaipur on Wednesday, April 11. The encounter promises to be another exciting contest in the tournament.
Both sides have had different fates in IPL 2024, with Rajasthan being the only undefeated side in the tournament so far and GT suffering three losses in five matches.
Talking about form, RR look complete, with each of their chips firing so far. Jos Buttler's return to form, the new consistent middle order of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, and the strong bowling line-up taming the opponents: cricket seems to be as solid as it could be in RR camp right now.
On the other hand, that's not the case with the Gujarat Titans, as they have been plagued with inconsistency since winning the title in 2022. Their batting revolves around the duo of skipper Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, and in the absence of David Miller, the middle order looks frail.
However, one can rest assured that this RR-GT encounter will be all but without context and dull. It was GT who broke the dreams of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2022 final, and the Jaipur-based franchise wouldn't want to let go of their winning momentum either.
Also, both teams possess enough firepower in their respective batting lineups to produce another high-scoring thriller like the previous RR-GT encounters.
That being said, we will look at some of the best knocks played in RR-GT matches since IPL 2022.
Top 5 knocks in RR-GT matches in IPL history
#5. Shimron Hetmeyer, 56*(26), Ahmedabad, IPL 2023
Chasing 178 against a quality bowling attack of the Gujarat Titans was always going to be an uphill task for RR. The difficulty level increased exponentially when Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan blew up the top order of Rajasthan and reduced them to 55/4 in the 11th over.
Not only did RR batsmen need to keep attacking to not fall too far behind the required run rate, but they also had to make sure that they didn't lose too many wickets from there on.
RR skipper Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmeyer led the counterattack and played their shots all around the park.
When it looked like RR were cruising to the target, GT bowlers fought back and dismissed both Samson and the dangerous Dhruv Jurel in quick succession.
But the drama wasn't over yet. Hetmeyer kept attacking from one end and took his side home, scoring 56* off just 26 balls.
#4. Sanju Samson, 60 (32), IPL 2023, Ahmedabad
The same innings saw Sanju Samson at his best when RR had no business coming this close to GT's 177 runs, let alone winning it from 55/4 in the 11th over.
Samson took on Rashid Khan and smoked three consecutive sixes to maintain the tempo of the chase.
Both Hetmeyer and Samson targeted their bowlers and batted according to the situation, with the latter going berserk. The spinners ended up with 60 runs in just 32 balls.
#3. David Miller, 68* (38), Qualifier-1, IPL 2022, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
In a contest between two heavyweights in Qualifier-1 of the IPL 2022, the RR-GT encounter proved to be a high-scoring thriller, with GT winning the contest, thanks to some belligerent hitting from their middle order.
Chasing a stiff target of 189 runs in a knockout, GT got the worst possible start, with Wriddhiman Saha getting out for a 2-ball duck. But Shubman Gill and Matthew Wade made sure that the chase was still on track with a balanced, calculative, and aggressive approach.
But at 85/3 in the 10th over, it required some herculean batting efforts from the experienced duo of skipper Hardik Pandya and David Miller.
Miller took the aggressor's role and started clobbering every bowler, with a special liking to the pacers, completing a 35-ball half-century.
GT still needed 16 off the last over, which Miller scored in the first three balls, smoking Prasidh Krishna for three sixes.
#2. Hardik Pandya, 87* (52), IPL 2022, D.Y. Patil Stadium, Mumbai
It was the first glimpse of Hardik Pandya the captain, making his mark as a batsman in the IPL, as he scored a memorable 87* off just 52 balls to pip RR in a rather one-sided encounter.
With GT struggling at 53/3 in the seventh over, Pandya decided to bide his time in the middle, taking the game deep along with Abhinav Manohar, who continued to play his shots.
With the arrival of David Miller at the crease in the 16th over, Pandya also changed gears and plundered eight fours and four sixes to take GT's total to a mammoth 192/4. GT won by 37 runs.
#1. Jos Buttler, 89 (56), Qualifier-1, IPL 2022, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
A list of RR-GT encounters batting performances would be incomplete without Jos Buttler.
In the IPL 2022 Qualifier-1 against GT, Buttler continued his dominance and showed his prowess with the bat. Losing Yashasvi Jaiswal early meant Buttler needed to anchor the innings and play till the end to have a competitive total on the board.
After completing his half-century in 42 balls, he decided to play his shots and raced away from 50 (42) to 89 (56) to score 39 runs off just 16 balls, propelling RR's total to 188/6. However, the Royals lost by seven wickets.