Rashid Khan athleticism and ability to outthink batsmen are outstanding. Brett Lee

Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets in Match No. 48 of the Indian Premier League 2023 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Friday night, thanks to outstanding performances from spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad.

The Titans bowled the Royals out for a meager 118 runs in 17.5 overs, with the veteran Afghan recruit Rashid Khan taking three wickets in four overs and the youthful Afghan Ahmad returning with two wickets in three. The subsequent powerful batting performance by the visitors allowed them to surpass the total in only 13.5 overs. After Shubman Gill (36 runs) and Wriddhiman Saha (41 runs*) had amassed 71 runs for the opening wicket, Hardik Pandya scored 39 runs off just 15 deliveries.

The Titans are now in first place with 14 points after 10 games, while the RR remain in second place with 10 points. They are currently in fourth place in the points table. “Mohammed Shami appears to be improving daily, and he currently wears the purple headgear. Hardik Pandya, too, is bowling well. On the other hand, their spin bowling has been outstanding. Rashid Khan and Noor have bowled exceptionally well. These four bowlers have formed a cohesive unit, according to JioCinema IPL expert RP Singh.

“They have finally introduced Mohit Sharma after a lengthy absence. Every player is executing their duty flawlessly. In particular on this day, the spinners established dominance in the match, and the Royals were unable to bat freely thereafter,” he added.

Brett Lee, another IPL expert, also praised Khan, saying, “Well, Rashid is adored all over the globe. What a tremendous asset he is to his own nation. I believe he bowled magnificently once again today, given his athleticism and ability to outthink batsmen. The last two or three games have been difficult for him, but today he demonstrated once again why he is among the greatest in the world. 3/14 in four overs, and he was once again exceptional.” Lee said of Pandya, “Tonight, he took initiative, took a few risks, and accomplished his goal.”