IPL 2026: The Siraj-Rabada powerplay blueprint - Test-match lengths, T20 destruction
Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have become IPL 2026's most lethal new-ball pair, bowling the entire powerplay in five consecutive games. Their relentless 'Test-match length' bowling, consistently hitting good and back-of-length areas, ripped through SRH's top order, claiming 4 wickets within the first 6 overs. This bowling prowess has been the driving force behind Gujarat Titans' success this season.
For the first time in the history of IPL, a bowling pair bowled in the entire powerplay - five games in a row during the GT vs SRH fixture at Ahmedabad on Tuesday. This shows how deadly, and lethal Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have been in IPL 2026 dominated by the top-order batters. The pair have evolved into the league's most prolific new-ball bowling pair, with GT claiming 25 wickets during the powerplay.
They have struck every 17. 2 balls in the first 6 overs; Rabada's 16 wickets in this phase are the joint second-most by a bowler in an IPL season. In a wicket tailor-made for the tall fast bowlers in Ahmedabad, Rabada and Siraj consistently hit the hard lengths and ripped through the SRH batting lineup.
At the end of the powerplay, their score was 34 for 4 with Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Ishan Kishan back in the dugout early. GT bowlers have bowled on good and back-of-length areas 84. 3% of the time in the powerplay, which is the league's highest among all the teams.
And against the destructive SRH top-order, the same skillset reaped the rewards. Siraj opened the first over with one swinging away, then another from the good-length, and on the 4th ball, he swung one into the pads of Head, who could only manage a top-edge into the hands of Nishant Sindhu at deep backward point. A wicket maiden from Siraj set the tone, and also the template for Kagiso Rabada to test Abhishek Sharma from the same length in the second over.