Mumbai: Gujarat Titans (GT) won three games in a row after defeating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Indian Premier League 2022 . Titans won by 6 wickets at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The game went to the final delivery as Gujarat Titans successfully chased down the target of 190.
Chasing a total of 190, Gujarat Titans lost an early wicket of Mathew Wade. Shubman Gill played some elegant strokes on the top order as the timing off the ball was perfect. Debutant Sai Sudharsan, started confidently by smashing two fours as GT were 53/1 at the end of powerplay. Gill and Sudharsan hammered a six each as Gill reached his fifty in the 9th over.
The fifty partnership was up for the second wicket when GT were at 94/1 at the halfway mark. Gill kept the momentum by continuing the flow of boundaries and Sudharsan played second fiddle. Rahul Chahar broke the partnership as Mayank Agarwal caught Sudharsan. GT skipper Hardik Pandya hit consecutive fours against Rahul Chahar to lower the asking rate. With 32 required off the final two overs, Pandya hit two fours against Rabada in the penultimate over. However, Rabada managed to dismiss Gill for 96. GT required 19 off the final over. Rahul Tewatia completed the chase by hitting two sixes in the last two deliveries.
Coming to bat first, Punjab Kings made one change with Jonny Bairstow pin playing eleven. Gujarat Titans found early success with the ball as skipper Hardik Pandya dismissed opposition captain Mayank Agarwal for 5. Dhawan creamed two fours as PBKS lost their second wicket. Jonny Bairstow was caught by short third-man off Lockie Ferguson’s bowling.
PBKS were 43-2 at the end of powerplay before Liam Livingstone and opener Shikhar Dhawan stitched a crucial fifty-run partnership for the third wicket. Rashid Khan brought an end to the partnership after Dhawan was caught behind for 35. Jitesh Sharma, who was the new man in, thumped two sixes and a four to support Livingstone. Darshan Nalkande brought the momentum back with GT after the bowler struck twice in consecutive deliveries to dismiss Jitesh Sharma and Odean Smith. Rashid Khan dismissed Livingstone and Shahrukh Khan. PBKS lost their eighth wicket after Rabada was run-out in the 17th over. Shami cleaned up the stumps of Vaibhav Arora but Rahul Chahar added valuable runs as PBKS finished the first innings with a total of 189/9.
Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 190-4 (Shubman Gill 96, Sai Sudharsan 35; Kagiso Rabada 2-35) beat Punjab Kings 189-9 (Liam Livingstone 64, Shikhar Dhawan 35; Rashid Khan 3-22) by 6 wickets.
