With four overs left in the innings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, April 25, Gujarat Titans were well placed for a strong finish.
Jos Buttler was set, Washington Sundar had found rhythm quickly, and the scoring rate had already climbed past 10 an over. A total beyond 170 looked assured, with 190 still within reach if the finishing burst clicked. Instead, what followed was a sharp late collapse in momentum engineered by Royal Challengers Bengaluru through three tightly controlled overs.
Between the 17th and 19th overs, GT managed just 17 runs. Two of those overs went without a boundary, and a key wicket in the middle phase completely disrupted their acceleration plans. It wasn’t a single magical over—it was sustained pressure built step by step.
The shift began with RCB captain Rajat Patidar’s surprising call to bring back Suyash Sharma after he had been taken for 14 in his previous over. The gamble worked. With Buttler still building and Sundar adjusting, Suyash bowled a composed over, giving away just four runs and denying GT any release shots.
That quiet over proved crucial. Instead of exploding, GT were forced to reassess under rising pressure, and the innings began to tighten.
Sensing the moment, RCB turned to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who delivered the decisive blow by removing Buttler. That wicket broke the backbone of the innings and shifted the responsibility onto Sundar and new batter Jason Holder, who immediately found scoring difficult.
The next over produced just five runs, with GT unable to break free or find boundaries. The momentum had clearly shifted, and the pressure was now firmly on the batting side.
RCB then closed the door completely by bringing Josh Hazlewood into the 19th over instead of saving him for the final six balls. The move ensured there was no easy over left. Hazlewood’s accuracy and control kept GT quiet again, preventing any late surge.
By the end of the 19th over, GT’s late-innings push had been effectively neutralised. What had once looked like a big total in the making was pulled back through disciplined execution, smart bowling changes, and calm decision-making under pressure.
In a format defined by explosive finishes, RCB’s three-over squeeze stood out as a controlled, calculated chokehold that completely reset the final stretch of the innings.
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