The Gujarat Titans bounced back in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 with a hard-fought 7-run win over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. It was a remarkable comeback for the Titans, who were able to defend a small target of 136 against a strong LSG side.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Titans found themselves in trouble early on when opener Shubman Gill was caught by Ravi Bishnoi off the bowling of Krunal Pandya in the second over. Despite the loss of Gill, skipper Hardik Pandya and Wriddhiman Saha kept the scoreboard ticking with their attacking strokeplay. However, the LSG bowlers kept things tight, with Krunal Pandya claiming two wickets in the middle overs to put the Titans on the back foot.
At 102/4 after 17 overs, the Titans needed a big finish to set a challenging target. Hardik Pandya stepped up with a well-made half-century and attacked Bishnoi in the 18th over. However, Marcus Stoinis struck twice in the final over to restrict the Titans to 136/6.
In response, LSG got off to a flying start, with KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers smashing 53 runs in the powerplay.
After enduring Mohd. Shami’s opening over, KL Rahul attacked the pacer in the next over of his balling and smashed a hat-trick of boundaries. At the start of the powerplay, LSG was 53/0. The pair then welcomed Rashid Khan to the crease by hammering 16 runs in the fifth over.
However, Rashid Khan bounced back brilliantly to dismiss Mayers and put the brakes on the scoring rate. KL Rahul continued to bat well, reaching his half-century and taking LSG to 80/1 at the halfway mark.
The Titans fought back with some disciplined bowling, and LSG lost wickets in quick succession, with Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, and Stoinis all departing within a span of two overs. With 17 runs required off the final two overs, Mohit Sharma produced a stunning final over to dismiss Rahul and Stoinis and secure a memorable win for the Titans.
Overall, it was an excellent performance from the Titans, who showed great character and resilience to defend a small total against a strong LSG side. The Titans will be hoping to carry this momentum forward as they look to climb up the IPL standings.
Also Read: Mark Wood: The Knight In Shining Armour For Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023
