Scintillating batting display from Wriddhiman Saha (81 off 43) and Shubman Gill (94 not out off 51 balls) followed by Mohit Sharma’s four-fer powered Gujarat Titans (GT) to a huge 56-run win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2023 match at Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Sunday.
This was GT’s eighth win from eleven matches that extended their lead at the top with 16 points.
Mohit was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 4-29. The spin duo of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan too got a wicket apiece.
Saha and Gill dominated the proceedings with the fearless hitting and the duo went on to build a 142-run partnership, which Avesh Khan broke in the 13th over. Then, skipper Hardik Pandya came in and played a quick cameo of 25 off 15 to keep the Titans on track to post the biggest score at the venue.
Mohit then led the way with the ball with a fantastic spell of 4-29 as a collective bowling effort saw GT survive Kyle Mayers’s (48 off 32), and Quinton de Kock’s (71 off 42) blitzes to win the match by 56 runs.
Chasing a mammoth target, LSG got off to a much-needed good start with Mayers and De Kock dealing in boundaries as the visitors raced to 72 for no loss at the end of the Power-play.
Mohit provided a breakthrough as Mayers went for the hook and got a top edge towards deep square leg and Rashid was quick to sprint across to his right as completed an outstanding diving catch.
De Kock then whipped it over deep square leg for a maximum and LSG came crossed the 100-run mark halfway through the innings.
Mohit and Rashid bowled brilliantly to slow down the LSG run rate in the chase with just 15 runs coming in 11-14 overs, without a boundary. Soon, De Kock brought up his fifty in 31 balls including seven boundaries and a maximum. Deepak Hooda’s dismal run of form continued as he holed out after a sluggish start.
After going boundaryless for 26 balls, De Kock broke the shackles and thumped it straight back down the ground for a maximum. A delivery later Mohit outsmarted Marcus Stoinis and got another breakthrough for the Titans.
With the asking rate climbing, De Kock hammered Rashid for a six over mid-wicket and the leg-spinner was quick to bounce back as he removed the set batter for 70.
Then, Noor Ahmed removed Nicholas Pooran cheaply for 3, reducing LSG to 153 for 5. With 73 needed in two overs, Mohit struck twice in the penultimate over to dismiss Badoni and skipper Krunal Pandya and completed his four-fer.
Ravi Bishnoi hit a boundary in the final over when just formality was left in the run chase, as the Titans restricted LSG to 171/7 in 20 overs.
Earlier, LSG’s Saha took Titans off to a rollicking start as he was at his best smashing it all around the park sparing no bowler. After being silent for the first five overs, Gill joined the six-hitting fest after surviving an lbw as he lofted towards long-off for a maximum.
The next over, Saha completed his fifty off just 20 balls with a maximum. Gill finished the over with yet another six, taking Titans to 78 for no loss in the Power-play.
The opening duo continued with the onslaught as the Titans crossed the 100-run mark in nine overs and stood strong at 120 for no loss halfway through the innings. An over later, Gill completed his fourth half-century of the season off 29 balls.
When LSG was keenly looking for a wicket, Avesh Khan came up with a plan and broke the 142-run opening stand, dismissing Saha for 81 in the 13th over.
Hardik then joined Gill to continue punishing LSG bowlers. He smashed two sixes and a boundary in two overs before Mohsin Khan removed his brother in the 16th over.
Avesh and Yash slowed down the run-rate a bit with just three boundaries and a six came off in the next three overs. With 14 runs coming off the last over, including a six from Gill and a boundary from Miller, the Titans posted 227 for the loss of two wickets.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 227/2 in 20 overs (Wriddhiman Saha 81 off 43, Shubman Gill 94 not out off 51; Avesh Khan 1-34, Mohsin Khan 1-42) beat Lucknow Super Giants 171/7 in 20 overs ( Kyle Mayers 48, Quinton de Kock 70; Mohit Sharma 4-29) by 56 runs.
