Indian pace bowler Rasikh Salam claimed 3-27 as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru restricted Gujarat Titans to 155-8 in the IPL final on Sunday.
Bengaluru elected to field first in their bid to clinch back-to-back titles after the team, along with star player Virat Kohli, won their first IPL trophy in the 18th edition of the T20 tournament last year.
Bengaluru's quick bowlers justified the decision to put Gujarat in to bat, striking early and regularly. Only Washington Sundar offered much resistance as he scored a defiant 50 not out.
Salam stood out in a disciplined attack that included Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who both took two wickets each.
Hazlewood struck early, dismissing skipper Shubman Gill for 10 as Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar held a fine running catch, to the delight of Kohli.
Kumar dislodged the other opener Sai Sudharsan for 12 in the next over.
Both Gill and Sudharsan were in the race for the Orange Cap awarded to the top scorer in the IPL season, but Rajasthan Royals' 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is now all but certain to clinch the award with 776 runs.
Gill (732) and Sudharsan (722) are second and third.
Nishant Sindhu, who made 20, and Jos Buttler attempted to steady the innings but struggled against a miserly Bengaluru attack.
Salam removed Sindhu when his attempted big hit landed in the hands of long-off.
Sundar escaped after he appeared to be caught by Jordan Cox at deep fine leg off Jacob Duffy as replays suggested the fielder had grassed the ball.
Krunal Pandya had Buttler stumped for 19 with his left-arm spin and Gujarat slumped to 73-4 in 12.1 overs.
Wickets continued to fall as Hazlewood sent back Arshad Khan for 15 and Salam removed Rahul Tewatia for seven.
Sundar stood firm to reach his fifty in the 20th over and hand his team a chance to win their second title. They won the crown in their debut season in 2022.
Kohli's iconic number 18 jersey dominated the stands at the 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium, which is home to Gujarat. Chants of "Kohli, Kohli" filled the world's biggest cricket stadium every time a wicket fell.
Source: AFP
– Agencies
