Gujarat's Titan
Gill smashes third ton of the season, powers GT to 233/3 against MI
Shubman Gill (right) celebrates his ton; B Sai Sudharsan played second fiddle to perfection
AHMEDABAD: Sensational Shubman Gill’s 129 off just 60 balls – his third hundred of the Indian Premier League 2023 – propelled Gujarat Titans to a daunting 233 for three against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 here on Friday.
Stylish opener Gill began sturdily and turned brutal in the second half of the innings, smashing seven fours and 10 sixes during his breathtaking knock. During his stay in the middle, Gill added 138 runs for the second-wicket alliance with B Sai Sudharsan, who played second fiddle with a 31-ball 43 (5 fours, 1 six) before he was retired out.
Gill’s whirlwind knock made him only the second Indian batter after Virat Kohli (2016) and fourth overall in the history to score more than 800 runs in an IPL season. Gill hit three sixes off MI’s hero from the last match, Akash Madhwal (1/52), in the 12th over to cross the 800-run mark, continuing his form to lead Gujarat’s charge.
He brought up his fifty off 32 balls and after reaching the first milestone, he unleashed a flurry of sixes against both pacers and spinners. Gill also surpassed Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 62-ball 124 to record the highest individual score this season.
In the process, the 23-year-old also surpassed Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis (730 runs) to secure the ‘Orange Cap’. Additionally, Gill’s 129 bettered former Punjab Kings batter Virender Sehwag’s 122 against Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 season as the highest score by a batter in the play-offs.
After a 30-minute delayed start due to rain, GT began on the front foot. A vital moment had come at the end of the sixth over, when Tim David, stationed at mid-on, dropped a catch to provide Gill with a lifeline, with GT finishing the powerplay at 50 without loss.
The first breakthrough for MI came in the seventh over when leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (1/45) had Wriddhiman Saha (18) stumped on a delivery down the leg side. Gill had luck on his side off two consecutive deliveries sent down by left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya.
After wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan could not run-out the batter who had gone down the track and had an inside edge deflecting the ball into his pads, Gill hit the next delivery in the air only to find the ball dropping close to the fielder at deep midwicket.
At the halfway mark, GT reached 91 for one with Gill bringing up his fifth half-century of the campaign. Courtesy Gill’s onslaught, the defending champions managed as many as 142 runs in the second half of the first essay. Skipper Hardik Pandya (28 not out off 13 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) provided the final flourish with a cameo.
BRIEF SCORES: Gujarat Titans 233/3 in 20 overs (S Gill 129, B Sai Sudharsan 43*) vs Mumbai Indians. At the time of going for print, Mumbai was 156/6 in 15 overs
