Rabada, Siraj rip through Hyderabad as Gujarat tighten grip on IPL Playoffs

The noise inside Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium faded quickly on Tuesday night as fear replaced hope in the Sunrisers Hyderabad dugout. Every delivery from Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj carried menace, pace and movement. By the end of the powerplay, the match had already slipped far away from Hyderabad.

The Gujarat Titans crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 82 runs in one of the most one-sided contests of the IPL season. More importantly, the victory pushed Gujarat to 16 points, a total that usually guarantees a playoff place in the 10-team format.

While Gujarat’s batting posted a competitive 168, the real destruction arrived with the new ball.

Siraj struck immediately. The fast bowler removed Travis Head in the opening over and delivered a wicket-maiden that stunned Hyderabad early. Fans inside the stadium erupted as Siraj celebrated with trademark aggression near the pitch.

That breakthrough completely shifted momentum.

Then Rabada entered the attack and turned pressure into panic.

Abhishek Sharma attempted to counterattack and smashed Rabada for a huge six off the first ball. However, the South African pacer responded instantly. He forced a mistake in the same over and removed the opener after an inside edge crashed back onto the stumps.

Soon after, Ishan Kishan tried a similar aggressive approach. He also launched Rabada for a six. Yet Rabada once again fought back immediately and found the outside edge to send Kishan back to the pavilion.

Hyderabad never recovered from that collapse.

Siraj tightened control from the other end with relentless accuracy. He attacked hard lengths, denied boundaries and forced batters into survival mode. Even singles became difficult as Gujarat’s bowlers squeezed the scoring rate completely.

By the end of the powerplay, Hyderabad had lost three wickets and most of their confidence.

In the stands, Gujarat supporters sensed the game had already tilted decisively. Chants grew louder with every dot ball, while Hyderabad fans sat in stunned silence watching wickets tumble in quick succession.

The Titans’ bowling effort once again highlighted the strength of their pace attack. Earlier this season, Rashid Khan admitted Gujarat lacked the most explosive middle order in the competition. However, he insisted their bowling unit could overpower any side on its day.

Tuesday night proved that claim right.

Rabada and Siraj did not rely on slower balls or yorkers. Instead, both bowlers trusted disciplined Test-match lengths. They repeatedly attacked the top of off stump and forced Hyderabad batters into rushed decisions.

After the match, spinner R Sai Kishore credited the fast bowlers for sticking to simple plans. He also praised captain Shubman Gill and coach Ashish Nehra for creating clarity around bowling strategy.

Gujarat now appear one of the most dangerous teams heading toward the playoffs. Their pace attack has started peaking at exactly the right stage of the tournament.

Still, the Titans understand how quickly momentum can change in the IPL. Last season, the team looked certain to secure a top-two finish before losing crucial matches late in the league stage.

Next, Gujarat travel to Kolkata to face Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. If Rabada and Siraj continue bowling with this level of intensity and control, Gujarat could become the side every opponent hopes to avoid in the knockout rounds.