GUJARAT Titans’ inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) season goes from strength to strength after David Miller and Rahul Tewatia inspired a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The table-topping Titans have now won eight of their opening nine games, chasing down a target of 171 as half-centuries from Virat Kohli (58) and Rajat Patidar (52) proved to be in vain for RCB.
That pair put on 99 for the second wicket after Faf du Plessis went for a duck in the second over but Glenn Maxwell (33) was the only batter to provide a key contribution after Patidar top-edged to square leg and Kohli was undone by a Mohammed Shami yorker.
Wriddhiman Saha (29) and Shubman Gill (31) laid the platform for a successful chase for Gujarat, which Miller (39 not out) and Tewatia (43 not out) ensured, despite Shahbaz Ahmed (2-26) trapping Gill lbw then removing captain Hardik Pandya (3) to reduce Titans to 78-3.
Their 50-partnership came in just 29 balls and RCB looked increasingly forlorn as they attempted in vain to break up the stand.
Indeed, it is now three defeats in five for RCB, Miller and Tewatia finishing with an unbeaten stand of 79, the latter lofting a cover drive to the boundary to wrap up the win in style.
Wanindu Hasaranga impressed with 2-28, but it was not enough to halt Titans.

KOHLI FINDS FORM
Averaging 20.66 in the IPL this year, Kohli’s half-century was his first of the season. He was not able to record another 100-partnership, having put on 118 alongside du Plessis against Punjab Kings last month. RCB will be hoping he can produce more performances of this ilk to inspire them to a top-four finish.

MILLER AND TEWATIA MAGIC
The Titans needed 36 off the final 18 balls, with a seemingly dramatic finish in the offing. However, Miller and Tewatia took 17 off the 18th over and 12 from the 19th, with four apiece off the helpless Josh Hazlewood in the final over thus finishing the job. (Sportsmax)