GT Vs RR Was The Best Game Of The Season So Far : Irfan Pathan

Rajasthan Royals moved to the top of the standings in TATA IPL 2026 after their second straight win by beating Gujarat Titans in a thriller. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’, JioStar experts Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ravichandran Ashwin talked about Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande’s death bowling masterclass as well as Sai Sudharsan’s valiant effort for GT.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’ programme, Irfan Pathan said that the win and some important decisions at the end will give great confidence to Riyan Parag as the Captain:

“This was the best match of the season so far. It was very important for Rajasthan that Riyan Parag showed respect while leading the team. He took that tough decision in the last over and it went in favor of Rajasthan, which will give him confidence as a leader. He went to Jofra Archer to bowl in the 19th over and usually in the penultimate match you go with your more experienced bowler. Jofra used his experience, used his pace and didn’t make any sacrifices. This set it up very well for Tushar Deshpande because if Had GT scored 10 runs, it was a special achievement by Jofra and credit to Tushar Deshpande who held his nerves and hit one accurate knock after another to take his team home.”

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’ programme, JioStar expert Harbhajan Singh heaped praise on Tushar Deshpande for succeeding under pressure:

“The first four balls were absolutely accurate. The fifth was the only one that wasn’t Yorker length and Rashid had the opportunity to cross the boundary, but it was a great catch from Jofra Archer. He ran a good length, dived and caught the ball at the right time. It was not an easy catch and it would have been difficult if not for that effort. I am really happy for Tushar Deshpande. He was given the responsibility of bowling in front of someone like Nandre Burger. We were all surprised in the commentary box because that is what he will gain from here and that is why in this TATA Indian Premier League, our local players He gets the opportunity to do the tough work and he has been able to stand up to the challenge, defending just 15 runs in the last two overs is not easy and every team would like to have bowlers like Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande who score under pressure.”

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’ programme, JioStar expert Ravichandran Ashwin had the following to say about Sai Sudharsan playing GT in Shubman Gill’s absence:

“Sai Sudharsan knew that Shubman wasn’t playing today so he had to do the heavy lifting. The way he started showed that he understood his strengths. He used the pace well, guided the ball towards third man and then made some good cover moves on the front foot. He took on Jadeja immediately after coming into the attack, used the tempo and followed with a heavy sweep. These are the strong areas that Sudharsan relied on and he got the Results. He has to play like that, bat at a good pace. And Shubman Gill’s absence was a big setback for Gujarat Titans, so once Shubman comes back, this opening combination will be key for them to go forward once again.”