Kamal Ghorui
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag said after the match that wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel played a key role in the decision to bring Jofra Archer on for the 19th over, a move that helped them beat Gujarat Titans by six runs in a close game on Saturday.Archer also spoke about the change. “I didn’t take it from him. Riyan changed his mind. He was going to bowl the 19th and I was going to bowl the last one. Practice and a game can be two different things. Being adaptable is important. Slower balls weren’t staying in so we had to go predominantly pace on,” he said.In the end, Tushar Deshpande bowled the final over and conceded only four runs, even though Gujarat Titans needed 10. He started with a wide but then kept his length right, bowling yorkers and fuller balls to close out the game.Earlier, Gujarat Titans needed 15 runs from the last two overs, but Archer gave away only four in the 19th over, leaving 10 for the final over.Chasing 211, Gujarat Titans were in trouble at 161 for 7 before Kagiso Rabada (23 not out) and stand-in captain Rashid Khan (24) added quick runs to bring the match close, but they could not finish it.Earlier, Rajasthan Royals scored 210 for 6 after choosing to bat. Jurel made 75 off 42 balls, while Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 55 off 36 balls.Jaiswal also shared a 70-run opening stand in 6.2 overs with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made 31 off 18 balls.For Gujarat Titans, Sai Sudharsan scored 73 off 44 balls and added 78 runs for the first wicket with debutant Kumar Kushagra (18 off 14 balls).After Sudharsan was dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi, Gujarat Titans lost wickets quickly, slipping from 107 for 1 to 133 for 5, and later to 161 for 7.This was Rajasthan Royals’ second win in a row, while Gujarat Titans, coached by Ashish Nehra, have now lost two matches in succession.
