Gujarat Titans (GT) rode on Shubman Gill’s spectacular century to qualify for the finals of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. After failing to reach to the finals in the 1st time against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat have taken their 2nd chance with both hands and have sealed a place in the finals.
Mumbai Indians’ dream journey came to an end as the Rohit Sharma led side crashed out of IPL 2023 after a 62-run defeat at the hands of the defending champions. Gujarat will be oozing with confidence ahead of the all-important finals.
Gujarat and Chennai lock horns with each other at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 28th May 2023 for the finals.
In this article, we take a look at 3 talking points of the GT vs MI Qualifier 2 which took place in Ahmedabad:
1. Shubman Gill’s magnificent century
Shubman Gill smashed his 3rd century in IPL 2023 as he powered Gujarat to a mammoth total of 233 runs. Chasing anything above 200 in a virtual semi-final is extremely tough and chasing 230+ runs was always going to be incredibly difficult.
Gill took the MI bowlers to the cleaners as he smashed them all across the park. Gill scored 129 runs in just 60 balls. His innings was packed with 10 sixes and 7 fours and he had an incredible strike-rate of 215.00.
2. Surya Kumar Yadav’s blistering innings went in vain
Surya Kumar Yadav gave a tough fight but it wasn’t enough in the game. He scored 61 runs in 38 balls and his innings was laced with 7 fours and 2 sixes. The Mumbai-based batter had a wonderful strike-rate of 160.53 but at the end of the day, Mohit Sharma got the better off him.
Yadav’s innings summed up MI in this season. Mostly it was Surya Kumar Yadav who performed exceedingly well in most of the games. All other batters chipped in here and there but no could display consistency.
3. Mohit Sharma’s unbelievable bowling performance
Veteran bowler Mohit Sharma breathed fire in this GT vs MI Qualifier 2 game. He bagged 5 wickets in just 14 balls of his spell. Such was his wicket-taking ability in this game! Sharma’s primary task is to stop the run flow and take wickets and he executed it to perfection.
Mohit Sharma’s wickets included Surya Kumar Yadav, Vishnu Vinod, Chris Jordan, Piyush Chawla and Kumar Kartikeya. It was an unbelievable spell from the 34-year-old cricketer.
In 13 IPL 2023 matches, Mohit Sharma has bagged 24 wickets and is a force to reckon with in the Gujarat Titans camp.
Also read: IPL 2023: 3 Reasons Why Aakash Madhwal Can Be A Mainstay Bowler Of Mumbai Indians
