In a season where batters have often dominated the headlines, Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have quietly rewritten the rules of powerplay bowling in IPL 2026. The Gujarat Titans' new-ball duo has achieved something unprecedented—bowling the entire six-over powerplay in five consecutive matches, a first in IPL history.

Their approach is simple yet devastating: bowl Test-match lengths in a T20 format. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad, this strategy paid off spectacularly. By consistently hitting good and back-of-length areas—a staggering 84.3% of the time, the highest among all teams this season—they tore through SRH's explosive top order. Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan were all back in the dugout within the first six overs, with the scoreboard reading a bleak 34 for 4.

Siraj set the tone in the very first over, mixing a swinging delivery with a good-length ball before trapping Head with an inswinger that resulted in a top-edge. The wicket maiden was a statement. Rabada then followed the blueprint, testing Abhishek Sharma with similar lengths. After conceding a six off a fuller delivery, the South African pacer quickly adjusted, cramping Abhishek for room with a back-of-length delivery that led to a drag-on. Ishan Kishan soon followed, edging a hard-length ball that moved away just enough to find Jos Buttler's gloves.

The numbers tell the story of their dominance: GT have claimed 25 powerplay wickets this season, striking every 17.2 balls. Rabada's 16 wickets in this phase are the joint second-most by any bowler in a single IPL season. Together, Siraj and Rabada have become the league's most lethal new-ball pair, proving that patience and precision can still outsmart even the most destructive T20 batters.