Jos Buttler expressed delight after the Gujarat Titans secured a crucial four-wicket victory over the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The win, he said, was vital for their playoff hopes in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Chasing a modest 156, the Titans lost wickets in clusters but were powered by skipper Shubman Gill’s blistering 43 off 18 balls and Buttler’s explosive 39 off 19, which included two boundaries and four sixes. Rahul Tewatia remained unbeaten on 27 to guide the team home.
“Yeah, massive two points for us. We’re in that scenario where we need to hold on to those guys ahead of us, and we play a lot of them as well. So, massive time in the tournament and a really important win today,” Buttler said, emphasizing the significance of beating a strong side.
The English wicketkeeper-batter credited his bowlers, especially pacers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, for making early breakthroughs on a batting-friendly surface. “A really good batting surface. I think the bowlers deserve a lot of credit there. One of the biggest differences was taking our catches today,” he added.
Buttler also praised Gill’s calm approach at the top, saying it gave the team confidence. “When your leader goes out there and does exactly what he spoke about, so calmly and clinically against a top bowler, that broke the back of the chase very early,” he noted.
Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill lauded his bowlers for restricting RCB to under 160, calling it a “tremendous job.” He also highlighted the improved fielding effort, saying, “Energy in the field was very nice, and how we came back together after the second over was pleasing.”
RCB captain Rajat Patidar admitted his team’s total was insufficient, though he praised the bowlers for stretching the game to the 16th over. “The way Shubman played put pressure on us, but the way we came back is a positive. However, we lost too many wickets in the middle, which kept us on the back seat,” Patidar said.
The win was Gujarat Titans’ fifth of the season, keeping their playoff hopes alive, while RCB remained in second place with 12 points.
