Opener Sai Sudharsan struck his third half-century of the 2025 Indian Premier League season to guide Gujarat Titans (GT) to the top of the points table with a 58-run thrashing of Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday. The left-handed Sudharsan smashed 82 off 53 balls, his fifth consecutive score of fifty runs or more in IPL matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He became the second batter to achieve this incredulous feat after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star AB de Villiers, who had scored five consecutive fifties at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. GT posted 217/6 after being invited to bat first at their home at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. Pace bowler Prasidh Krishna then stood out with figures of 3/24 to help bowl out Rajasthan for 159 in 19.2 overs after Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with 52. Gujarat registered their fourth successive victory in five matches to lead the 10-team table. Inaugural champions Rajasthan slipped to their third defeat. Gujarat, who won the IPL in their debut season in 2022, had a disappointing start when Rajasthan’s England import bowler Jofra Archer bowled skipper Shubman Gill with a 147 kph (91.34 mph) delivery that rattled the off stump. But Sudharsan, after a cautious start, put on key stands, including an 80-run second-wicket partnership with England’s Jos Buttler, who hit 36, to lay the foundations for the mammoth total. “IPL is the kind of tournament where you need the momentum from the start. Always a joy to contribute to team wins,” Sudharsan said after being named player of the match. “I always try to see what I can do better, trying to improve my awareness and skill. I feel I work a lot on basics that is helping me be a versatile batter,” he added at the pot-match presentation. Sudharsan has amassed 273 runs in five matches and is second behind the leading batter, Lucknow Super Giants’ Nicholas Pooran, who has 288 runs. (With inputs from Agencies) Stay updated with all the latest news on IPL 2025, including the schedule, points table, top run-scorers (IPL Orange Cap), and leading wicket-takers (IPL Purple Cap). Get real-time updates, match highlights, and expert insights—only on News18.