Bowling during Powerplay bleeding out the Sunrisers

Gujarat Titans have been racking up massive scores this IPL but Friday's onslaught against Sunrisers Hyderabad felt different — they hardly had to play improvised shots.

- Somshuvra Laha

KOLKATA: Gujarat Titans have been racking up massive scores this IPL but Friday's onslaught against Sunrisers Hyderabad felt different — they hardly had to play improvised shots. Both Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan aggregated strike rates of 225 after the Powerplay, staggering because they usually start on a cautious note. But they are also class batters meaning they don't miss out on putting the bad balls away. And there was no shortage of that from the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers.

By the end of six overs, Titans had hit 13 fours and only two sixes, pointing to immaculate timing and placement from Gill and Sudharsan but also bad bowling from Sunrisers, something captain Pat Cummins admitted. "Our Powerplay with the ball wasn't great, probably let them get 20-30 runs extra," he said at the post-match presentation in Ahmedabad. "Maybe hang on to one or two catches as well, I'm guilty there. Maybe chasing 200 on this wicket looks a bit more realistic."