IPL 2026: Deshpande’s ice-cool final over, Bishnoi’s 4-fer seals 6-run thriller for RR against GT

Ahmedabad, April 4 (IANS) A dramatic final over from pacer Tushar Deshpande helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a thrilling six-run win over Gujarat Titans in a nail-biting encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

After opting to bat first, Rajasthan posted a competitive 210/6 in 20 overs, riding on fine half-centuries from Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Gujarat’s chase was spearheaded by a brilliant knock from Sai Sudharsan, but despite a late surge from Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, the hosts fell agonisingly short.

Rajasthan, who won the toss and elected to bat, began aggressively with Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi putting the Gujarat bowlers under pressure in the Power-play. The duo raced to 69/0 in six overs, with Jaiswal striking fluently through the off side. Rashid eventually broke the stand by removing Sooryavanshi for a brisk 31 off 18 balls.

Jaiswal carried the momentum forward and brought up a well-paced half-century before falling for 55 off 36 deliveries to Rabada. Rajasthan briefly lost momentum with a couple of wickets, but Jurel ensured the innings retained its impetus. The wicketkeeper-batter paced his knock beautifully before launching an assault in the death overs, smashing 75 off 42 balls with five fours and as many sixes. Cameos from Shimron Hetmyer and the middle-order batters lifted Rajasthan past the 200-run mark.

GT were without their regular captain, Shubman Gill, who missed the match due to a muscle spasm, as Kumar Kushagra made his debut and opened the innings alongside Sudharsan.

Chasing 211, the pair provided a steady start, reaching 56 without loss in the powerplay. Sudharsan looked in sublime touch, striking cleanly against both pace and spin. Kushagra contributed a handy 18 off 14 balls before being caught at long-on off Riyan Parag, ending the opening stand.

Sudharsan continued to dominate, reaching a fluent half-century and keeping Gujarat well in the chase. However, Rajasthan struck back through leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who turned the game with a superb four-wicket haul, registering his best figures in the tournament. Bishnoi removed the dangerous Sudharsan for a splendid 73 off 44 balls before also dismissing Glenn Phillips and Washington Sundar in quick succession.

With wickets tumbling, Gujarat slipped from a comfortable position to 133/5, and the pressure mounted further when Jos Buttler fell to Nandre Burger.

Just when Rajasthan appeared in full control, Rashid and Rabada produced a stunning counterattack. The duo, sharing a 43-run partnership, added quick runs with fearless hitting, including a towering six from Rabada and several clever boundaries from Rashid, bringing the equation down dramatically.

Needing 11 runs in the final over, RR skipper Parag entrusted Deshpande with the responsibility. The pacer delivered under immense pressure, repeatedly nailing his yorkers and restricting the batters. The decisive moment came when Rashid attempted a big shot but was caught by Jofra Archer in the deep, leaving Gujarat with too much to do.

Deshpande conceded just four runs in the final over to seal a thrilling victory for Rajasthan in what turned out to be the first nail-biter of the season.

Brief scores:

Rajasthan Royals 210/6 in 20 overs (Dhruv Jurel 75, Yashasvi Jaiswal 55; Kagiso Rabada 2-42) beat Gujarat Titans 204/8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 73, Jos Buttler 26; Ravi Bishnoi 4-41, Tushar Deshpande 1-24) by 6 runs.

–IANS

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