Gujarat Titans Crush Sunrisers Hyderabad with Siraj’s Fiery Spell

The match 20 of the Indian Premier League 2025 had Sunrisers Hyderabad hosting Gujarat Titans at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, but the home side couldn’t turn their fortunes around as GT clinched a convincing 7-wicket win with 20 balls to spare.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Batting Collapse

Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that turned out to be spot on, thanks largely to a fiery spell from Mohammed Siraj. Returning to his home city, Siraj put on a show with the ball and broke the back of SRH’s batting lineup, finishing with career-best IPL figures of 4 for 17. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings got off to a shaky start, losing both openers inside the first five overs. Travis Head, looking to be aggressive, perished for just 8 off 5 balls, caught by Sai Sudharsan at cover off Siraj. 

Soon after, Abhishek Sharma fell for 18, also to Siraj, after hitting four boundaries and briefly steadying the innings. At 38/2 in 4.4 overs, the pressure was on the middle order. Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy tried to rebuild, adding 12 runs before Kishan was dismissed for 17 by Prasidh Krishna. The top order struggled to convert starts as Kishan’s 14-ball stay saw a couple of boundaries, but no real momentum. Nitish Kumar Reddy stuck around longer, scoring 31 off 34, but his innings lacked acceleration. He fell in the 15th over, trapped by Sai Kishore after a painstaking partnership with Klaasen.

Heinrich Klaasen was once again SRH’s hope, and he played a brisk hand of 27 from 19 deliveries, including two fours and a six. However, he too was undone by the clever bowling of Sai Kishore, who claimed 2/24 in his four overs and tied down the scoring during the middle overs. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals, which hurt their chances of posting a challenging total.

Aniket Verma (18 off 14) tried to provide some impetus but fell at a crucial stage. Kamindu Mendis, drafted into the side for this match, lasted just 5 balls for a solitary run. Pat Cummins, batting at No. 8, gave the innings a much-needed late push with an explosive 22 off 9 balls, hitting three fours and a six to drag SRH to 152/8 in their 20 overs. Mohammed Shami also chipped in at the end with a cameo of 6* off 2 balls.

Siraj’s performance was the standout as in 4 overs, he gave 17 runs, picked 4 wickets, and not a single boundary was conceded. Prasidh Krishna supported him well with 2 for 25, while Sai Kishore’s tight lines yielded 2 for 24. Rashid Khan and Ishant Sharma went wicketless, with Ishant proving expensive, leaking 53 in his 4 overs.

Gujarat Titans Smooth Chase

In reply, Gujarat Titans had a slight hiccup at the start. Sai Sudharsan was the first to go, scoring 5 off 9 before edging to cover off Mohammed Shami. Moments later, Jos Buttler was dismissed for a duck, caught behind off Pat Cummins. GT were 16 for 2 inside the fourth over, and SRH had a window to fight back.

But the chase was anchored beautifully by GT skipper Shubman Gill, who continued his sublime form. Gill scored a fluent 61* off 43 balls, smashing nine fours and rotating the strike expertly. At the other end, Washington Sundar, promoted to No. 4, turned in a match-defining innings of 49 off just 29 balls. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder showed intent from the outset, hitting five fours and two sixes. The duo stitched a rapid 90-run stand for the third wicket in just 51 balls, effectively sealing the game.

Even after Sundar was dismissed by Shami in the 14th over, Sherfane Rutherford came in and wasted no time finishing the job. His 35* off 16 balls included six boundaries and one six, as GT raced to the target in just 16.4 overs, ending at 153/3. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling was once again underwhelming. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers with 2/28 from his 4 overs, while Pat Cummins took 1/26 in 3.4 overs. But Simarjeet Singh (1 over, 20 runs) and Zeeshan Ansari (4 overs, 33 runs) were both expensive. The rest of the bowling attack failed to apply sustained pressure.

What’s Happening in the Points Table?

Gujarat Titans’ win gave them two important points, taking their total to six points from four matches and helping them stay in the top half of the IPL 2025 points table. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was their fourth straight loss, which is a worrying sign for the team. Their performance showed problems in both batting and bowling, as they failed to put up a fight. 

With this defeat, SRH now sit at the bottom of the points table, and things are getting tougher for them to make a comeback in the season. They will need to fix their issues quickly if they want to stay in the playoff race. Mohammed Siraj was named Player of the Match for his outstanding spell. He took four wickets with sharp accuracy and played a key role in turning the game in Gujarat’s favour.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

The TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game happened during Gujarat Titans’ batting in the 6th over of their innings. Simarjeet Singh was bowling his first over, and Washington Sundar had just come in after SRH picked up two quick wickets, putting GT under pressure. On the fourth ball of the over, Simarjeet bowled a back-of-a-length delivery on middle and off. What followed was pure brilliance. Sundar walked across his stumps early and, with a flick of his wrists, sent the ball soaring over fine leg for a six. 

It was a shot full of confidence and class, reminding fans of a famous moment during the historic Gabba Test in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In that match, while chasing in the fourth innings, Sundar had played a very similar shot for six, which was a defining moment in India’s legendary win. This six in the IPL may not have had the same stakes, but it showed Sundar’s fearless style and natural flair under pressure.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Considering the TCNI’s Hero of the Day, it has to be Washington Sundar, who was playing his first IPL 2025 match and got the chance to play against his ex-franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad. Coming out to bat at a crucial stage of 16/2 in the fourth over, after the early dismissals of Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan, the pressure was firmly on Gujarat Titans. But a quick innings from Sundar changed the course of the game. He looked composed from the start and played with a clear plan, rotating the strike smartly and punishing loose deliveries.

Sundar’s counterattack was filled with classy strokes, including five fours and two sixes in his 29-ball 49. He built a crucial partnership with Shubman Gill and shifted momentum back in GT’s favor. Though he missed out on a fifty, his innings came at a time when GT needed someone to take charge and steady the chase. Sundar’s all-round abilities were on full display, and his composed knock proved vital in helping Gujarat Titans seal a comfortable win.