Kagiso Rabada has made it clear that he is not planning to alter his plans despite being taken on by teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during a high-voltage contest between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals on Saturday night. The much-hyped battle saw Sooryavanshi take early charge with a couple of clean sixes, winning the individual duel on the night, even as Rajasthan fell short in the chase.
However, Rabada had the last laugh in the overall contest, producing a crucial spell of 2 for 33. He struck at important moments, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer to break the backbone of the Royals’ innings. His disciplined effort ensured Gujarat Titans stayed in control after posting a massive 230, eventually sealing a dominant 77-run win. Despite being hit early in his spell, Rabada stuck to his lengths and plans, playing a key role in defending the total comfortably.
Rabada, who moved to the top in the Purple Cap race, was asked about his duel with 15-year-old Sooryavanshi and his attitude while bowling against him. The GT pacer laughed it off and spoke about sticking to his tried-and-tested methods, even in pressure match-ups against fearless young batters, while also highlighting the preparation that goes into executing plans on the field.
“What’s worked for 11 years will continue to work, right? So I guess it’s just hedging your bets and hoping that it comes off. But there’s a whole lot of hard work that’s done behind the scenes and then, you know, a bit of analysis to look at batsman’s weaknesses. So there is that type of nuance in the game, but otherwise it’s just the same old, same old,” Rabada told broadcasters.
Sooryanshi smashed 36 runs off 16 balls and was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj in the third over of the chase.
Rabada feeling good in terms of fitness
Speaking in the context of his workload and form at the business end of the tournament, Rabada opened up on managing physical and mental fatigue while staying consistent for Gujarat Titans.
“Yeah, body feels good. But this is where the fatigue starts to set in. The mental fatigue too. So it’s just about trying to stay on top of that. Make sure that you’re as fresh as possible. So that’s where the professional side of the game is needed, a lot more, especially in the back end. But my body feels good and hopefully I can just continue what I’ve been doing,” he added.
Meanwhile, GT rose to the second spot on the points table after a clinical win over Rajasthan Royals on Saturday. The 2022 champions were in control with both bat and ball, moving up to 14 points and further solidifying their push for a playoff berth.
