IPL 2022 | Saha's unbeaten 67 help GT maul listless CSK by 7 wickets

Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten knock of 67 (57) has helped the Gujarat Titans make a mockery of the total (133) set by the Chennai Super Kings and solidify their position at the top of the points table.

Chasing 134, the Titans, unlike their counterparts, got off to a blazing start as the duo of Saha and Shubman Gill stroked boundaries on a regular basis to hammer 53 runs in the first six overs.

Saha, who has a strike rate of 138 in the powerplay, was the prime aggressor among the two, smashing 37 off 23 deliveries.

The duo went on to add 59 runs for the first wicket in seven overs before debutant Matheesha Pathirana trapped Gill plumb in front on the first-ever delivery of his IPL career.

Pathirana chipped in with another wicket in the form of GT skipper Hardik Pandya (7 off 6 deliveries). In comparison, Moeen Ali got rid of Matthew Wade (20 off 15 deliveries), but it didn't really matter in the end as Saha, en-route to yet another half-century. Finally, David Miller guided the Titans to an easy seven-wicket win in the last over.

Earlier, the Super Kings never really got going in their innings, and their misery can be summed up by the fact that they did not manage a single boundary in the first four overs of the powerplay and the last five overs at the death.

Ruturaj Gaikwad possibly played his worst 50+ knock as the stylish right-hander struggled for any sort of timing throughout the course of his stay at the crease.

Gaikwad managed just 4 fours and a six during his 49-ball 53. The likes of Devon Conway and Shivam Dube falling cheaply didn't help their cause either. The final flourish never really came as Dhoni, too, fell cheaply.

For GT, Mohammed Shami was once again the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 2/19 in 4 overs.

CSK managed 133/5 in 20, which was never going to be enough, and like it turned out, it didn't.

Brief Scores:

CSK 133/5 (20)

Ruturaj Gaikwad 53 (49)

N Jagadeesan 39* (33)

Mohammed Shami 2/19 (4)

GT 137/3 (19.1)

W Saha 67* (57)

Matthew Wade 20 (15)

Matheesha Pathirana 2/24 (3.1)

Gujarat Titans won by 7 wickets