Key Points

Sudharsan continued to thrive on his lean patch while donning the opener's role perfectly for the Titans. He offered safety at the top with a touch of aggression alongside skipper Shubman Gill. He blazed his way to a whirlwind 48 from 23 deliveries at a stellar strike rate of 208.70 while riding high on a whopping nine boundaries.

His performance on Friday was a glimpse of the consistency the young southpaw has exhibited throughout the campaign. This consistency has helped him garner 504 runs, making him the first to cross the landmark in the 18th edition.

Buttler, who has been in awe of Sudharsan since the first time he laid his eyes upon him, believes his compatriot is getting the rewards he deserves for the amount of hard work he puts in.

"I've said it a few times, day one watching him in the nets, I was blown away by how good he (Sai) is. More importantly, he has a great head on his shoulders. The effort he puts in, the work, the understanding of his game, the humility to keep coming every day and keep working. He's shown fantastic consistency and is getting the rewards he deserves," Buttler said after the match.

Apart from Sudharsan, the Purple Cap holder Prasidh Krishna has flourished with the ball. He delivered a Player of the Match with his scintillating spell, scythed two priceless scalps of Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen to return with figures of 2/19 after bowling his full quota of four overs.

According to Buttler, Prashidh's success comes down to his ability to get the basics right, keep his lines tight, and closely monitor the batter's movement.

"The basics, he (Prasidh) does very well. He bowls a fantastic line, doesn't give the guys too much width, and he watches the batters well and follows them. He mixes his lengths, uses his bounce and yorkers. When he gets back onto the good length, he is very disciplined and executes really well. It's actually been the fielding, and that's the big thing," Buttler added.

Gujarat's 38-run triumph against the misfiring Sunrisers was laid by an early blitzkrieg from Sudharsan (48) and Gill (76), topped up by Buttler's rollicking 64(37).

The former England white-ball captain wondered how quickly Sudharsan and Gill piled up runs on the board by implementing classical shots that cleared Gujarat's way to a daunting 224/6.

"The guys are in great touch at the top, setting brilliant platforms just playing the way they play. Those two guys are quite traditional players with fantastic techniques, so they can occupy the crease, but the way they scored today, they take it by surprise how fast they score with classical shots," he said.

- ANI