‘Siraj & Rabada’s ability to pick early wickets set the tone for bowling unit: Bangar

New Delhi: Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar praised the impact of pacers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, who are among the leading wicket-takers of the season, saying that the duo has perfectly set the tone for the Gujarat Titans (GT) as they sealed a top-two finish in IPL 2026 with an 89-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

GT continued their dominant run this season as fifties from B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler powered them to 229/4 before Siraj, Rabada, and Rashid Khan dismantled CSK’s batting line-up to bowl them out for 140 in 13.4 overs.

Siraj (3-26) and Rabada (3-32) once again made early inroads with the new ball, reducing CSK to 31/3 inside three overs and effectively taking the game away from the five-time champions, who were also knocked out of playoff contention with the defeat.

Bangar credited the fast-bowling pair for laying the foundation of Gujarat’s success this season and highlighted how their early breakthroughs have allowed Rashid Khan to operate with greater freedom in the middle overs.

“Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have set the tone beautifully for the Gujarat Titans this season. Bowling extended spells upfront has allowed them to attack consistently without constantly adjusting fields or ends,” Bangar told Jio Hotstar.

“Their ability to pick up early wickets has created the perfect platform for the rest of the bowling unit. And when GT gets ahead in the game early, someone like Rashid Khan becomes even more difficult to face. Overall, this has been an exceptionally well-managed bowling attack,” he added.

After GT’s bowlers dominated the chase, Bangar also singled out Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 57 off 27 balls as a decisive contribution in the high-scoring contest.

Buttler walked in after Shubman Gill’s dismissal and immediately shifted gears, smashing Noor Ahmad for consecutive sixes before bringing up his fifty in just 23 balls. His late assault ensured Gujarat crossed the 220-run mark and completely deflated CSK’s hopes.

“That was a hugely significant innings from Jos Buttler. He has scored runs this season and showed a different level of dominance and intent,” Bangar said.

“His strike rate completely shifted the momentum of the innings and helped GT post a total that put the game out of CSK’s reach. Seeing Buttler in this kind of form is a massive boost for the Gujarat Titans ahead of the playoffs,” he added.