HYDERABAD, India — On Sunday, Shubman Gill delivered a composed innings, scoring an unbeaten 61 runs, to lead Gujarat Titans to a commanding seven-wicket triumph with 20 balls to spare against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
Gill’s innings marked his debut half-century for the season and propelled Gujarat to second place in the standings, riding on the back of their third consecutive victory. His performance was highlighted by striking nine boundaries in a 43-ball effort.
Joining him in the successful chase, all-rounder Washington Sundar contributed a significant 49 off 29 deliveries, aiding Gujarat in reaching a total of 153-3 within 16.4 overs.
Earlier in the match, Hyderabad struggled once more at the crease, concluding their innings with a total of 152-8 in the 20 overs, after opting to bat first post-toss. Mohammed Siraj was a standout in the bowling department, bagging four wickets for just 17 runs in his complete four-over spell.
This recent loss marks Hyderabad’s fourth consecutive defeat, leaving them at the bottom of the 10-team table. Their batting order once again lacked momentum against Siraj’s fierce opening spell, with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma departing for eight and 18 runs respectively.
Ishan Kishan, who previously hit a century in the opening game, could only manage 17 runs before being eliminated by Prasidh Krishna, reducing the team to 50-3 in 7.2 overs.
Despite maintaining a respectable run rate, Nitish Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen, the priciest overseas player this season yet to achieve a half-century, attempted to stabilize the innings with a 50-run partnership in 39 deliveries for the fourth wicket. Klaasen, tallying 27 runs, hit two fours and a six in his 19-ball stint.
Reddy remained the top-scorer for Hyderabad with 31 from 34 balls, punctuated by three boundaries as Gujarat’s spinners, particularly Sai Kishore with a spell of 2-24 from four overs, exerted control over the game. Rashid Khan, however, found less success, conceding 31 runs without taking a wicket.
The flow of wickets continued for Hyderabad after Reddy and Klaasen’s partnership was broken in the 14th over. Skipper Pat Cummins added a final flourish with an unbeaten 22 off nine balls, studded with three boundaries and a six, helping Hyderabad surpass the 150-run milestone.
The chase, however, began on a shaky note for Gujarat. Mohammed Shami, with figures of 2-28, dismissed Sai Sudharsan for a mere five runs. Cummins then claimed the crucial wicket of in-form Jos Buttler for a duck, caught behind after facing just three deliveries.
Gill and Sundar’s third-wicket partnership then became crucial to Gujarat’s victory. Together, they added a match-winning 90 runs in 56 balls, with Sundar taking an aggressive approach, especially in his promotion to the No. 4 spot, smashing five fours and two sixes.
Shami broke their partnership early in the 14th over by dismissing Sundar, but aggressive substitute Sherfane Rutherford kept up the momentum. The West Indian all-rounder remained unbeaten at 35 from 16 balls, swiftly hitting six boundaries and a six, sealing the win for Gujarat efficiently.
Gill reached his half-century from 36 balls and saw the innings through till the end.
Originally slated as a doubleheader, Sunday was reduced to a single IPL match. Kolkata Knight Riders were to face off against Lucknow SuperGiants but the encounter was pushed to Tuesday following a Kolkata police request amidst city religious festivities. Consequently, Tuesday will feature both the postponed match and an evening game where Punjab will host Chennai.