Gujarat Titans deny RCB top spot

Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a clean chance to go top. Gujarat Titans shut that down fast. GT bowled RCB out for 155, then chased it in 15.5 overs at Ahmedabad on April 30, with enough time left to turn a close-looking target into a pretty emphatic result. For the table, that matters — RCB missed top spot, and GT kept their season very alive. ### How did RCB end up with only 155? The innings started like one of those classic RCB powerplay bursts. Virat Kohli made 28 off 13, Jacob Bethell chipped in briefly, and Devdutt Padikkal kept the tempo high with 40 off 24. But the middle fell out. Once Kohli and Rajat Patidar were gone, wickets came in clumps — Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, and Krunal Pandya all left before RCB could build a proper finishing platform. ### Who actually flipped the innings? GT’s attack did it by committee, but Jason Holder sat right at the center of everything. He took 2 for 29, scored 12 in the chase, and grabbed 3 catches. Arshad Khan was just as important with 3 for 22, especially through the middle and late overs, and Rashid Khan’s 2 for 19 made sure RCB never got the release over they needed. ### Was 155 ever enough on that pitch? Not really once GT’s top order settled. Ahmedabad can punish bowlers when the chase stays calm, and Gujarat never let the asking rate turn into pressure. Shubman Gill made 43, Jos Buttler added 39, and the target kept shrinking without any dramatic rescue act from RCB. ### So where did the chase get tricky? There was a brief wobble. GT lost wickets through the middle, and for a moment RCB had a window if they could force the game deep. Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped by taking 3 for 28, and Romario Shepherd got 2 for 30. But the catch is that Gujarat still had hitters left, and the equation never really blew out. ### Why did the finish feel so sudden? Because GT closed like a team that knew net run rate and table pressure both mattered. Rahul Tewatia made 27 off 17, Rashid stayed around, and the last stretch disappeared in a rush. Chasing 156 with 25 balls left is not just a win — it is the kind of win that tells the rest of the league you are still in the fight. ### What does this do to RCB? It hurts more than a normal loss because the upside was so obvious. Win this, and RCB had a direct path toward first place and a stronger grip on a top-two finish. Lose it, and now the margin tightens — not just on points, but on the kind of small table edges that decide who gets two shots in the playoffs. ### And what does it do for GT? Basically, it keeps the door open. GT moved to 10 points, which does not solve everything, but it stops the season from drifting away. More importantly, this was not a scrappy steal. They out-bowled RCB, controlled the chase, and got a genuine all-round game from players they needed to show up. ### Bottom line? Gujarat Titans did two things at once — they revived their own playoff push and spoiled RCB’s move toward the top. In a crowded IPL table, that is a big swing for one night.