Jack the hero for RCB

Will Jacks’ breezy ton and Virat Kohli’s half-century guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thumping nine-wicket win over Gujarat Titans.

A rapid unbeaten century (100*) by Will Jacks and an unbeaten 70 from Virat Kohli guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a thumping nine-wicket win over hosts Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2024 match at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

With six overs left to chase down a target of 201 set by the hosts, RCB still needed 53 to get. Kohli was on 69 and Jacks on 44.

An assault with a flurry of sixes from Jacks underlined his hitting abilities as went on a big-hitting spree to help RCB ransack 58 off the next two overs and overhaul the 201 target with four overs to spare.

In the process, he also completely sidetracked Kohli’s knock and blitzed to a 41-ball century, his first in the IPL, with minimum fuss.

It was an innings that changed speeds in a blink of an eye.

This was all after Gujarat Titans posted 200/3 on the back of an unbeaten 84 from B Sai Sudharsan and a 30-ball 58 from Shahrukh Khan.

Earlier RCB’s Swapnil Singh, playing only his second game in IPL 2024, deceived opener Wriddhiman Saha by flight, having him caught at short third.

Skipper Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan merely consolidated as they could manage only one four in the last three overs of the powerplay to finish on 42 for 1. Glenn

Maxwell then got Gill caught brilliantly at long-on in a diving effort by Cameron Green.

At 45 for 2, GT decided to send in Shahrukh at No. 4 and the move paid rich dividends. He swept Maxwell over long-on for six before pulling a not-so-short one between long-on and deep midwicket for four. He was severe on Karn Sharma, hitting him for two sixes in two overs, which put him out of the attack. He then hit Green for 4, 4, 6 to bring up a 24-ball fifty, his first in the IPL.

Sai Sudharsan also changed gears. He was on 18 off 16 when the powerplay ended, and on 32 off 23 at the 10-over mark. He got his half-century off 34 balls. Even after Shahrukh’s dismissal - castled by a reverse-swinging full delivery from Siraj - Sai Sudharsan did not relent. In his next 15 balls, he scored 34. However, the 51 runs GT managed at the death did seem a tad underwhelming as Willstorm hit Ahmedabad.

Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 200/3 (B Sai Sudharsan 84*, Shahrukh Khan 58, Swapnil Singh 1-23) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 206/1 in 16 overs (Will Jacks 100*, Virat Kohli 70*).