GT vs SRH Review – Clinical performances seal top 2 berth for Gujarat
Gujarat Titans became the first team to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2023 as they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 34 runs on May 15 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
After being put in to bat first, Gujarat posted 188/9 on the board with riding on a splendid maiden IPL ton by Shubman Gill (101 off 58). In reply, SRH could only manage to reach 154/9 in their allotted 20 overs with Heinrich Klaasen (64 off 44) being the lone warrior in their innings. Mohammed Shami (4/20) and Mohit Sharma (4/28) picked up four wickets each to help his side enter the playoffs.
Earlier, Gujarat were in trouble batting first as Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed the dangerous Wrddhiman Saha in the first over itself for a duck. Following the early wicket, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan (47 off 36) got involved in a massive 147-run stand off just 82 balls.
After their partnership ended in the 15th over with the dismissal of Sudharsan, GT batters failed to capitalize on the good start and began losing wickets at regular intervals. However, Gill continued his brilliant knock and completed his maiden IPL hundred in the 19th over reaching the landmark in 56 deliveries.
A brilliant last over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/30), which yielded four wickets and two runs, did not allow Gujarat to finish their innings on a high as they scored 188/9 in the first innings.
In reply, SRH also didn’t get off to the best of the starts, losing Anmolpreet Singh in the first over itself. They further lost Abhishek Sharma in the second over against Yash Dayal and later kept losing wickets in search of runs and finished the powerplay on 45/4. The entire batting lineup fell like dominoes as they were reduced to 59/7 after nine overs. Heinrich Klaasen was the lone warrior for SRH with his half-century as no other batter put their hand up during the chase.
Top Performers of the Match
Shubman Gill
The GT opener continued his brilliant form in the ongoing season and played a magnificent innings to bring up his maiden IPL ton. The 23-year-old scored 101 off 58 balls, smashing 13 fours and a six in his innings to help SRH post 188/9.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The veteran seamer picked up a fifer to put brakes on GT’s run-fest in the first innings. He finished his four-over spell with figures of 5/30 to stop GT from crossing the 200-run mark in the last over.
What’s next for both teams?
Gujarat Titans will next lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 21 at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Sunrisers Hyderabad will face the same team on May 18 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
