Shimron Hetmyer’s spirited half-century was not enough to rescue Rajasthan Royals from a crushing 58-run defeat at the hands of Sherfane Rutherford’s Gujarat Titans in a lopsided Indian Premier League (IPL) showdown in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Chasing a daunting 218 for victory, the Royals’ batting lineup faltered under pressure, folding for 159 despite Hetmyer’s resilient 32-ball 52, which included four boundaries and three towering sixes. The West Indian middle-order batter stood tall amid the wreckage, but the lack of support around him rendered his effort in vain.
The Royals’ troubles began early in their chase when Yashasvi Jaiswal (six), Nitish Rana (one), and Dhruv Jurel (five) all fell cheaply. Even a promising cameo by Riyan Parag (26) couldn’t stem the tide as Gujarat’s bowlers tightened their grip.
Hetmyer and skipper Sanju Samson attempted to steady the ship with a 48-run stand for the fifth wicket. Samson, in his typical counter-attacking fashion, blasted 41 off 28 balls, striking four fours and two sixes, but his dismissal to Prasidh Krishna tilted the scales firmly in the Titans’ favour.
Hetmyer remained defiant, launching into the attack with some power-packed strokes, but wickets continued to tumble around him. After losing Shubham Dubey (one) and Jofra Archer (four), his own resistance ended when Krishna had him caught with the score at 145-8. The tail offered little else, as Sai Kishore polished off the innings with two quick strikes.
Prasidh Krishna led the charge with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3-24, while Rashid Khan (2-27) and Kishore (2-20) offered reliable support.
Earlier, the Royals had elected to bowl first and got off to a promising start when Jofra Archer knocked over Titans captain Shubman Gill for just two runs. But that breakthrough only ushered in more problems.
Sai Sudharsan (82 off 53) anchored the innings with poise, first building a solid 80-run partnership with Jos Buttler (36 off 25), then joining forces with M Shahrukh Khan, who blazed 36 off 20 balls. The two added 62 for the third wicket before Theekshana removed Khan, and Sandeep Sharma accounted for Rutherford (seven), giving the Royals a flicker of hope.
However, Sudharsan’s calculated strokeplay and a late cameo from Rahul Tewatia (24 off 12) helped the Titans pile on a total that proved far out of the Royals’ reach.
Theekshana (2-54) and Deshpande (2-53) were the Royals’ most effective bowlers.
With the win, Gujarat Titans surged to the top of the IPL table on eight points, while Rajasthan Royals slipped to seventh with just four points.
Hetmyer fights but Titans crush Royals in one-sided IPL clash – Sportsmax
