The Albany Gazette - Blistering Buttler leads Gujarat to IPL win over Bengaluru

Chasing 170 for victory, Gujarat depended on a 75-run second wicket stand between Buttler and opener Sai Sudharsan, who hit 49, to achieve the target with 13 balls to spare in Bengaluru.

Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj set up Gujarat's second successive victory with figures of 3-19 from his four overs to help restrict Bengaluru to 169-8.

It was Bengaluru's first defeat of the season after two wins as home fans left the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium disappointed.

Gujarat began their reply cautiously against a disciplined bowling attack, and seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed skipper Shubman Gill for 14 in the fifth over.

The left-handed Sudharsan hit regular boundaries, and along with Buttler, put on a quickfire stand to get the Titans' chase back on track.

Australia pace bowler Josh Hazlewood denied Sudharsan his fifty but Buttler kept calm, and partnered by impact substitute Sherfane Rutherford (30), steered the team to victory in an unbeaten stand of 63.

Buttler never allowed the pressure to mount on the visitors as he hit five fours and six sixes, including a reverse ramp that went behind the wicketkeeper in his 39-ball knock.

The England international's innings more than made up for his missed chances with the gloves, which included a dropped catch in the first over off Siraj.

West Indies left-hander Rutherford hit the winning six to cap off a dominant show in their third match of the season.

Bengaluru were invited to bat first but lost regular wickets and, despite England batter Liam Livingstone's top-score of 54, fell short.

Star batsman Virat Kohli was the first to go when left-arm quick Arshad Khan got the opener caught at long leg for seven.

Siraj soon took charge and bowled Devdutt Padikkal and then Phil Salt, who fell for 14 one ball after he hit the bowler for a six.

Veteran Indian seamer Ishant Sharma dismissed Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, causing the batting team to slip to 42-4 in 6.2 overs.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma took on the attack in his 21-ball 33 with a flurry of boundaries, including one six, and put on 52 runs with Livingstone.

Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore sent back Jitesh and got Krunal Pandya caught and bowled to rein in Bengaluru.

But Livingstone stood firm and kept up the charge with five sixes -- all off Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan.

Livingstone survived reprieves, including when Rahul Tewatia dropped him on nine in the deep and then Buttler missed a stumping off Rashid.

He finally fell to Siraj before Tim David boosted the total with a late blitz as he smashed 32 off 18 balls, but the effort was not enough.

(A.Thompson--TAG)