Shubman Gill’s spectacular performance illuminated the night sky in Ahmedabad as he guided the Gujarat Titans to a resounding 62-run victory over the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, securing their spot in the IPL 2023 final.
Gill’s heroics were nothing short of extraordinary as he blazed his way to an astonishing 129 runs off just 60 deliveries, notching up his third century of the season. The young prodigy showcased his sublime strokeplay, leaving the opposition in awe.
Assisting Gill in the onslaught was Sai Sudharsan, who played a valuable knock of 43 runs off 31 balls, contributing to Gujarat Titans’ commanding total of 233/3. Their partnership left the Mumbai Indians stunned and facing an uphill battle.
In pursuit of 234 runs, the Mumbai Indians suffered an early setback when Impact Player Nehal Wadhera, who opened the innings with Rohit Sharma due to Ishan Kishan’s injury, was caught behind by Mohd. Shami off the fifth delivery of the innings.
Adding to their misfortunes, Cameron Green retired hurt after being struck on the elbow by a fiery short ball from Pandya. The situation worsened for Mumbai as Rohit departed in the following over, offering a high catch to Josh Little.
Despite the setbacks, Green valiantly returned to the crease and, along with Suryakumar Yadav, counterattacked by smashing a flurry of boundaries, including three fours off Rashid Khan’s over.
Their partnership of 51 runs provided a glimmer of hope for Mumbai Indians. However, Impact Player Josh Little, introduced by Hardik Pandya, made an immediate impact by dismissing the in-form Green for 30 runs off 20 deliveries, breaking the crucial stand.
Tilak Varma launched a stunning counter-assault, unleashing a barrage of boundaries, including a remarkable four and a six off Shami’s over. He continued his assault with a four off Rashid Khan’s bowling.
However, Rashid mounted a spirited comeback, dismissing Varma off the final ball of the Powerplay, leaving Mumbai Indians at 72/3 after six overs.
Suryakumar Yadav then took charge, displaying a blistering fifty off just 33 deliveries, leading Mumbai’s fightback alongside Vishnu Vinod, who replaced the injured Ishan Kishan. Amidst the battle, Vinod had a stroke of luck as Shami failed to hold onto a catch while running backwards.
The tide turned in favour of the Gujarat Titans when Mohit Sharma stepped up to the occasion. Sharma delivered a crucial blow by dismissing Suryakumar Yadav for 61 runs off 38 balls, immediately after he had struck a six.
Sharma’s brilliance continued as he claimed Vinod’s wicket in the same over, while Rashid returned to trap Tim David’s leg-before wicket in the subsequent over. Mumbai Indians stumbled further, losing wickets at regular intervals, with Mohit Sharma relentlessly tormenting their batsmen.
Sharma dismissed Jordan and Chawla before claiming his fifth wicket by having Kumar Kartikeya caught at long-on, eventually bowling Mumbai Indians out for 171. Sharma’s spell of 5/10, his best in the IPL, give Gujarat Titans a convincing 62-run victory.
Also Read: MS Dhoni’s IPL 2023 Final Appearance In Doubt? Discover The Potential Ban And Its Reasons!
