Jos Buttler smashes Mitchell Starc for five straight fours, Tewatia denies DC star final over-repeat with 2-ball finish
Mitchell Starc failed to repeat his match-winning performance in the match against Gujarat Titans on Saturday.
Just days after scripting a stunning final-over heist for Delhi Capitals, Mitchell Starc endured a humbling reversal at the hands of two men who know a thing or two about dramatic finishes – Jos Buttler and Rahul Tewatia. In the IPL 2025 clash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans chased down a daunting 204-run target with seven wickets in hand and eight balls to spare, courtesy a blazing 97* from Buttler and a two-ball finish from Tewatia, who ended the run-chase with a brilliant display of power-hitting against Starc.
The equation was 10 off 6. Axar placed his trust in Starc, thanks to his heroics against RR where he had defended nine runs in the final over, then restricted them to 11 in the Super Over to win the match. But Tewatia ensured there would be no encore. The left-hander, who Sunil Gavaskar calls the ‘ice-man’ for his uncanny ability to remain calm under pressure, launched Starc’s very first ball into the deep midwicket stands. It was a full delivery in the slot, and Tewatia did not miss.
The follow-up was a sharp yorker that tailed in, but even then, Tewatia managed to flick it off the inside edge to the fine-leg boundary. Game over.
Buttler's exhibition in power-hitting
But the unravelling had started earlier. In the 15th over, Buttler, nursing cramps, tore into Starc with five consecutive fours; an exhibition of timing and power-hitting. He picked off wide yorkers, punished full tosses, and found gaps at will.
The same Jos Buttler had taken Starc to the cleaners in the past in RR colours, and he did it again here, with his team needing acceleration and Starc unable to find his radar.
Delhi’s 203/8, built on collective cameos from KL Rahul (28), Axar Patel (39), and Ashutosh Sharma (37, looked like enough at the halfway mark. But Gujarat’s power-packed chase, led by Buttler’s unbeaten 97 off 54 balls and a classic Tewatia cameo, told a different story.
With the win, Titans leaped to the top of the table with 10 points to their name. While DC also have the same number of points, GT have a higher Net Run Rate.
