With explosive batting by Vijay Shankar at the death, after Sudharsan set the platform, the Gujarat Titans posted a total of 204/4 against the Kolkata Knight Riders to chase at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
After winning the toss, the Gujarat Titans chose to bat, with Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill opening the innings. The openers started steadily against the Kolkata pacers; however, when spinner Sunil Narine was introduced in the fourth over of the match, Kolkata took their first wicket as Saha, who was dismissed for 17 in 17 balls to a brilliant diving catch from N Jagadeesan. GT was 33/1 in 4.2 overs.
The Gujarat Titans reached their 50-run mark in just 5.1 overs. After the powerplay, Gill was standing strong in the middle with 20 in 14 balls, and he was partnered by Sai Sudharsan with five in five balls. GT was at 54/1 in 6 overs. The duo of Sudharsan and Gill brought up the fifty-run partnership in just 30 balls. GT was at 88/1 after 10 overs, with Gill at 36 in 27 balls and Sudharsan at 22 in 16 balls.
Just after GT reached their 100-run mark in 11.3 overs, Gill’s innings came to an end with Narine’s second wicket in 11.4 overs when Umesh Yadav caught him at long-on. GT’s opener was in 39 on 31 balls, consisting of four boundaries. GT was 100/2 after 11.4 overs. The 12th over started with a four against Umesh by Abhinav Manohar, and to continue the rhythm, he hit two more boundaries in the next two balls.
Giving another blow to Gujarat’s batting, youngster Suyash Sharma bowled Abhinav with a cracking googly in his second over. Abhinav was at 14 in 8 balls consisting of 4 fours. Whereas, GT was at 118/3 after 13.3 over.
After 15 overs, Gujarat scored 132/3 with Vijay Shankar and Sudharsan batting on the crease. Sudharsan was batting at 46 in 31 balls, and Shankar was batting at 2 in 3 balls.
Gujarat’s in-form batter, Sudharsan, clinched his second half-century of the IPL 2023 in 34 balls in 16.2 overs.
With Sudharsan’s single in 16.4, Gujarat got to the 150-run mark. With his three-wicket haul, Narine got the wicket of Sudharsan in 17.3 overs. Sudharsan performed prenominal scoring of 53 in 38 balls, bringing the Titans to 153/4. Taking advantage of the platform set by the top batters, Shankar accelerated in the last second over of the match, punishing Ferguson for an expensive 25 runs where he was hit by two sixes, two fours, and one no ball.
With explosive batting, Shankar reached his fifty in just 21 balls with a six. And after the half-century, he hit two sixes in the next consecutive balls, making a hat-trick of sixes. Gujarat ended their innings at 204/4 with the help of Shankar’s unbeaten 63 in 24 balls and David Miller’s unbeaten two runs in three balls.
