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Star pacer Mohammed Siraj took a sensational three-wicket haul to help Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans beat Rajat Patidar's Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 8 wickets in match 14 of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which was being played at the iconic M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, on April 2 (Wednesday). After the match, RCB expressed on performing against his old team at the venue, which was his IPL home ground for 7 years.
Siraj on RCB
Mohammed Siraj revealed that he was highly emotional playing against RCB, a team he has represented for 7 years. He said he was fine the moment the ball got in his hand. He also praised coach Ashish Nehra and senior Ishant Sharma for all their help.
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"I was a bit emotional. I was here for 7 years, changed jersery from red to blue and was emotional but once I got the ball I was fine. I am Ronaldo's fan and hence the celebration. I had been playing consistently, but during the break I corrected my mistakes and worked on my fitness. Once I was picked up by Gujarat Titans, I spoke to Ashish Bhai. He (Nehra) tells me to go enjoy your bowling and Ishu (Ishant) Bhai tells me what line and length to bowl. My mindset is to have belief and then the pitch does not matter," said Mohammed Siraj after winning Player of the Match award against RCB.
Mohammed Siraj struck twice in the powerplay before GT pace trio of Siraj (3/19), Arshad Khan (1/17) and Ishant Sharma (1/27) destroyed the RCB top order in the first seven overs to reduce the hosts to 42/4. Liam Livingstone (54), who scored a brilliant fifty, and Jitesh Sharma (33) stitched a 52-run partnership to steady the ship. Tim David pitched in with a handy 32 of 18. Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted 169 for eight against Gujarat Titans.
Virat Kohli once again failed to perform, and this time he got out in the second over itself after scoring just 7 runs. Had Tim David not contributed with his 32-run cameo, RCB would have failed to even post a fighting total on the board for their bowlers to defend.
GT complete comfortable chase
Titans got off to a steady start as Gill and Sai Sudharsan joined a 32-run opening partnership. Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Gill in the fifth over, but RCB could not capitalise on the breakthrough as after that Sai joined a game-winning 75-run partnership with Jos Buttler. Sudharsan missed his fifty by one run after Hazlewood dismissed him in the 13th over.
However, that was it for the RCB bowlers as Buttler, who remained unbeaten on 73 off 39 balls, along with Sherfane Rutherford, who played a cameo knock of 30 runs off 18 balls, ensured that GT would secure their second win of the season.
