India, May 27 -- The only moment when the Gujarat Titans briefly looked in the contest came during a tense passage in the middle overs, when Jason Holder's two-wicket burst in the ninth over handed Royal Challengers Bengaluru a rare reality check. The run rate suddenly dipped as Rashid Khan tightened the screws from the other end. It all culminated in Prasidh Krishna creating not one, but two opportunities in three balls to dismiss Rajat Patidar. Kagiso Rabada dropped the simpler chance, and Patidar made Gujarat pay immediately.

The RCB captain switched into overdrive, finding boundaries at will and punishing anything in his arc. He hammered five sixes and nine boundaries and, at one stage, a century looked inevitable. But with strike dr...