DC vs GT, 35th Match at Ahmedabad, IPL, Apr 19 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

8.05pm So, that's all from the Motera tonight. We have another game on, with Lucknow Super Giants taking on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. So go enjoy that game, if you haven't had your fill of the cricket for the day. On behalf of Sudarshanan, Sudeep and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo, this is Abhimanyu signing off.

7.55pm Time for the presentation ceremony.

The player of the match is Jos Buttler: "Really pleased with the two points and winning the game. It was a beautiful wicket to bat on. Just wanted to bat deep and pick my moments to attack. [On the challenge of the heat] I think it takes you by the surprise how draining it is. I certainly felt that while batting, cramping up and stuff. But that's part of the game to be fit and be able to perform under pressure in the heat. [On catching] I've kept poorly in the first six games and I've been determined to do better. It's an area we all could improve. [His partnership with Rutherford] I've enjoyed batting with him this season. He can hit sixes out of nowhere. His two sixes off Mohit Sharma changed the game. [On missing his century] You want to win the game. It would have been nice, I had my chances, but the two points are nice. Rahul in lots of games comes on with few balls to face and can find the fence straight away so he's really cool under pressure."

Shubman Gill: "[Critical moments] The way we pulled the game back... at one point it looked like their total would be 220-230 but credit to the bowlers for pulling it back. Even in the first game, chasing around 245 we were right in the game and lost by around 10 runs. We've been chasing well. [On Sai Kishore] I think they were ahead in the game and I didn't want them to get too ahead in the game and with Axar batting there till almost the end, and the fast bowlers being tough to hit, so just wanted to continue with that. Magnificent the way Sherfane and Buttler rotated the strike and those hits were tremendous. Their partnership wasn't just brutal hitting, it was very calculated batting. The way they rotated strike and picked their bowlers was excellent."

7.45pm Gujarat Titans lost their first wicket in the first over, but since then Buttler took over in this 204-run chase. Delhi Capitals did look like they were short a few runs and it proved to be the case. Delhi lose for the first time defending a 200-plus total while Titans complete their first 200-plus chase as another 97* ends up winning the game for Gujarat Titans after Sai Sudharsan earlier in the season. Prasidh Krishna and Ishant Sharma were the stars with the ball for Titans, not letting an aggressive DC side get away, before Jos stole the show. He was nearing in on a century, just three away when Titans needed 10 off the last over, but Tewatia finished the game within the first two balls off Starc.

Sai Sudharsan, who is also the Orange Cap holder now (he was for a few minutes when this was being typed, before Pooran overtook him in the second game of the evening at least): "The wicket was fantastic to bat on. The wicket was too good to bat on in the first six overs it was skidding nicely and coming on the bat and going off the bat at a good speed. The way the bowlers are bowling, if it's a really good ball the best way is to time the ball to get the most runs. I've been working on it in practice to time the ball to perfection. [Shot selection] I don't look for options, but react to what I get, but in preparation I try to work on differen areas to target. [Buttler] It's fantastic to bat with him and I get to learn so much watching him."

Axar Patel: "I think we were 10-15 runs short. I think that made the difference. When we wanted to accelerate, we kept losing set batters and we lost momentum and we couldn't finish how we wanted. Even if we got a couple more hits away in the last over we could have restricted them. We bowled well, but if we were a little better with our catching and fielding it would have been good, but we were short with our target. There is not too much to think about. We just need to learn what more we could have done and not make the same mistakes next time."

So, now the question is. Will Buttler get a century?

10 needed off the final over. One more than what Starc defended in Delhi in his last game! Tewatia on strike. Starc over the wicket. I suppose we know what the plan is

Rahul Tewatia comes in. He's barely had anything to do this season. 11 needed off 7, with a Starc over left, assuming he bowls that. There's been a change of balls as well. Mukesh around the wicket

Mukesh will bowl the penultimate over

Prakash: "Had West Indies chased it down just 5 balls prior, they would have qualified. These are exactly the scenarios that you have to be ready for in such tournaments.So, in the IPL as well, teams have to look to chase it down as quickly as possible and not waste balls when they are really close to the target. MI wasting that last over against SRH may come back to haunt them."

Meanwhile, West Indies face heartbreak as they are officially out of contention to qualify for the Women's World Cup this year. They came oh so close today!

Gokul Pradeep V: "Buttler century loading ? "

Buttler facing a free hit. Get your popcorn out!

Mukesh back in the attack

Titans have paced this chase very well, and known which bowlers to go for. (Although, Starc being one of them after that dream game against Royals wasn't on my bingo!)