Mukesh Kumar drops the first blood of the Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans (DC vs GT) IPL 2026 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The DC pacer offered GT opener Sai Sudharshan a fiery send-off with some words. Sudharshan and Shubman Gill started things well for their team, securing 11 runs in the first overs against the same bowler.
Mukesh Kumar is among the few bowlers who have been in good form. After conceding a couple of boundaries and a few singles, Kumar soon bounced back in his second over of the spell. On the first ball of the third over of the first innings, the seamer bowled out Sai Sudharshan.
Mukesh Kumar kept the length around the top of the stumps and angled the ball across the left-hander. The batter remained on top of his toe with the intention to play a cut shot, but the ball nipped back and took an inside edge before shattering the stumps. Gujarat Titans lost their first batter in the form of their in-form batter Sai Sudharshan.
WATCH – Kuldeep Yadav Bamboozles Jos Buttler With Stunning Delivery In IPL 2026
Sai Sudharshan started the innings finely, and he looked in good shape when he hit a four against Mukesh Kumar in the first over. Kumar, who is in good form, did not lose his confidence and kept the line on the line of the wicket.
Sudharshan was looking to utilize the power play and tried to explore the gap between the fielders on the offside. As the ball was on the line of the stumps, with a hint of swing, that surprised the batter. Sudharshan missed, Kumar hit- the bowler got the benefit for keeping the line tight. Gujarat Titans lost the wicket of Sai Sudharshan on 19 in 2.1 overs.
Sai Sudharsan chops on pic.twitter.com/3PFEU7ZtLz
— Nickk Knight (@KnightNick34590) April 8, 2026
After the departure of Sudharshan, the England international Jos Buttler took the onus on himself to rotate the strike rate, using the fielding restrictions in the powerplay. In 6 overs, GT scored 68 in exchange for one wicket.
By the time, Buttler was on 47 off 22, and the captain of the Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill, was batting on 7 off 7. So far, the English keeper-batter has hit three 4s and five 6s, and Gill has got one 4 so far.
ALSO READ: “Shami Must Play with Bumrah”: Sourav Ganguly’s Big Statement To Gambhir, Agarkar
Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026, during the 2026 T20 World Cup, Jos Buttler was among the star batters who were struggling for runs. The off-form of the proven batter in the white-ball formats could have raised concerns for the Gujarat Titans. But now, as the number three batter of the side, the experienced batters are swinging the bat like a well-oiled machine in Delhi.
