Sherfane Rutherford made his mark in emphatic fashion, as he hammered an unbeaten 30 off just 18 balls to assist Gujarat Titans to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The West Indies batsman was in destructive form, launching three sixes and a four in a match-sealing knock, which ensured the Titans comfortably chased down RCB’s total of 169-8 with 13 balls to spare. Rutherford’s finishing act was part of an unbroken 63-run partnership with England’s Jos Buttler, who led the way with a scintillating 73 off 39 deliveries, which featured five fours and six maximums.
Earlier, RCB struggled to build momentum after being sent in to bat. Their top order crumbled under Gujarat’s disciplined attack, with Virat Kohli (seven), Devdutt Padikkal (four), Phil Salt (14), and stand-in captain Rajat Patidar (12) all falling cheaply to leave the hosts reeling at 42-4.
A rebuilding effort came from Liam Livingstone, who topscored with 54 off 40 balls, and Jitesh Sharma, who contributed a lively 33 off 21, including five boundaries and a six. Their 52-run stand for the fifth wicket momentarily steadied the innings, but Sharma’s dismissal by Sai Kishore triggered another mini-collapse. Kishore struck again to remove Krunal Pandya (five) and reduced RCB to 104-6.
Livingstone continued to counterattack and cleared the ropes five times while finding the boundary just once in his 40-ball innings. He found support in Tim David, who chipped in with a brisk 32 from 18 deliveries, laced with three fours and two sixes. Their 46-run partnership gave RCB a much-needed late push before both batters fell in the final overs.
Gujarat’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance, as Mohammed Siraj stood out with 3-19, while Kishore played a crucial role with 2-22.
In reply, Gujarat Titans suffered an early setback when skipper Shubman Gill (14) fell in the fifth over, but the chase was soon back on track thanks to an explosive 75-run stand between Buttler and Sai Sudharsan.
Sudharsan was unfortunate to miss out on a half-century, as he was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood for 49 off 36 balls. However, his aggressive approach in slamming seven fours and one six had already set the stage for the Titans’ charge.
With 63 runs still required, Rutherford arrived at the crease and wasted no time making his presence felt. The left-hander unleashed a flurry of boundaries, including three towering sixes, as he complemented Buttler’s aggressive strokeplay. The duo dismantled RCB’s attack with consummate ease.
The Titans comfortably reached their target to secure their second win of the season. The victory propelled them to fourth in the standings with four points, while RCB, suffering their first loss, remained third with an identical tally.