David Miller hits three straight sixes in the final as Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals to qualify for the IPL final; Jos Buttler’s 56-ball 89 comes in a losing effort, but his team will get a second chance to reach Sunday’s title game in Ahmedabad.
Jos Buttler rediscovered his form going 89-for-56 for Rajasthan Royals, but came off on the losing end as Gujarat Titans won a thriller to reach this year’s IPL final thanks to David Miller’s three consecutive sixes in the final.
Buttler entered Tuesday’s tiebreaker with a top score of 30 in his last five games and totals in single figures in his last three, but he ignited in the back of his innings against Gujarat, scoring 50 runs from the last 18 balls he faced. he has been to 39 of 38 deliveries after 16 overs.
The Englishman’s pyrotechnics propelled the Royals to 188-6, but that total proved insufficient as South African batsman Miller (68 not off 38 balls) hit Prasidh Krishna’s first three balls from the last into the stands to take Gujarat to the title match in his debut season in the IPL. .
Gujarat required 16 of the last six balls and Miller quickly pummeled Prasidh over the long deep square leg and deep midwicket as his side won by seven wickets with three balls to spare.
Rajasthan still has a chance to reach its first final since triumphing at the inaugural tournament in 2008, as it takes on the winners of Wednesday’s tie between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The Royals will face either Lucknow or Bangalore on Friday, with the winner of that contest set to play Gujarat in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.
Tuesday’s loss was tough on Buttler, who hit four fours off Yash Dayal in the 17th of the Rajasthan inning, three more off Alzarri Joseph in the 18th, and then wrapped up the 19th with a four and a six from Mohammed Shami. 69 by Rashid Khan.
He drove in another six to Dayal from the third ball of the final before running out three deliveries later as he attempted to complete a second run.
Buttler’s hit was his seventh innings over 50-plus innings of the season, with the opener reaching three hundred-something half-centuries during a brilliant start to the campaign.
The Royals’ innings also featured vibrant cameos from captain Sanju Samson (47 of 26) and Devdutt Padikkal (28 of 20), with Afghanistan’s Rashid the Titans’ attacking pick, as he gave up just 15 runs from his four overs.
Gujarat, who topped the standings after the group stage, lost Wriddhiman Saha on the second ball of the chase, trapped behind New Zealand closer Trent Boult.
But Shubman Gill (35-for-21), Matthew Wade (30-for-30) and Hardik Pandya (40-for-27) chipped in before Miller, who hit five total sixes, settled things in style.
Watch the IPL tie between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix from 2:50pm on Wednesday.
