IPL 2024: GT defeats SRH by 7 wickets

AHMEDABAD: Dishing out an all-round show, Gujarat Titans brought down high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad with a clinical seven-wicket win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here Sunday.

Veteran seamer Mohit Sharma was at his deceptive best in the last over for his splendid figures of 3/25, while Afghan spin twins Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad bossed the middle overs as GT restricted the marauding SRH to a modest 162/8 after Pat Cummins opted to bat.

South African batter David Miller found his flair in his 44 not out from 27 balls to anchor the small chase despite suffering cramps and finished the game with a six off Jaydev Unadkat in the first ball of the final over.

Sai Sudharsan also lifted his game, top-scoring for GT with his 45 from 36 balls as GT won with five balls to spare.

GT had things under control in pursuit of the small target at its home venue and Wriddhiman Saha did his job to set the tone. He stepped out to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a boundary, and then pulled Unadkat over square leg.

But Saha could not convert his start and mistimed Shahbaz Ahmed to be dismissed for 25.

From going at nine runs per over, GT suddenly struggled to pace the innings with Sai Sudharsan typically slow at one end.

Gill was looking fluent at the other end but Sudharsan was unable to rotate the strike and ate up a lot of deliveries, putting pressure on his skipper.

Gill eventually threw his wicket away, holing out to Abdul Samad at long-on in a soft dismissal.

With 18 from 20 balls, the Tamil Nadu youngster Sudharsan once again found himself at the receiving end as he broke free against Unadkat in the 12th over, hitting the pacer for a boundary.

Earlier, fresh from smashing a record 277 in its last game, SRH was going great guns with 56/1 inside the power-play but the young and experienced Afghan duo of Noor (1/32) and Rashid (1/33) turned the match on its head in the crucial 7-15th over phase.

Noor dismissed the in-form SRH opener Travis Head (19), while Rashid sent back explosive Heinrich Klaasen (24) before taking a splendid forward-diving catch at long-on to see the back of Aiden Markram (17).

Having dismissed the in-form Abhishek Sharma in the 10th over, Mohit returned to shine at the death by taking two in two balls in the final over -- Shahbaz Ahmed (22) and Washington Sundar (0).

The 2014 Purple Cap winner and 2015 World Cup semi-finalist, Mohit who returned from the oblivion at GT two seasons ago conceded just one boundary -- a six -- in his four overs.