GT vs LSG: Saha-Gill Record Stand and Mohit Sharma's Heroics Script an Easy Win For Gujarat Titans
GT sealed an easy win over LSG [Source: AP]
Gujarat Titans: 227/2 in 20 overs [Shubman Gill 94* (51), Wriddhiman Saha 81 (43); Avesh Khan 1/34 (4), Mohsin Khan 1/42 (3)] beat Lucknow Super Giants: 171/7 in 20 overs [Quinton de Kock 70 (41), Kyle Mayers 48 (32); Mohit Sharma 4/29 (4), Noor Ahmad 1/26 (4)] by 56 runs.
Riding on blistering knocks from openers and Mohit Sharma's sensational four-fer, Gujarat Titans thumped Lucknow Super Giants by 56 runs in the 51st group-stage fixture of the ongoing IPL season. The Titans consolidated their top spot in the IPL 2023 points table with this commanding victory.
Saha-Gill opening stand guides Titans to a mammoth total
Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill [Source: AP]
After being put into bat first, Gujarat Titans were off to a flier, as Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill smashed 78 runs in the power play. While Gill took some time to build his innings, Saha looked unstoppable, hammering a belligerent 81 off just 43 balls. The first-wicket stand of 142 runs between these two batters set the tone for a huge total for the Titans.
After Saha was dismissed in the 13th over, Gill shifted gears to add some priceless runs to the Titans' total towards the backend of the innings. The promising Indian batter struck two fours and seven sixes for his unbeaten 51-ball 94*, helping his side post 227 runs in 20 overs.
Barring Gill, Hardik Pandya and David Miller provided GT with finishing touches, contributing 25 and 21* runs, respectively.
LSG succumb to scoreboard pressure after a promising start
Quinton de Kock's fighting knock went in vain [Source: AP]
In response, Lucknow Super Giants got a solid start to their innings, with the swashbuckling duo of Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock stitching a valuable 88-run opening stand. However, after Mayers got out in the ninth over, courtesy of Rashid Khan's stunning catch, De Kock and Deepak Hooda struggled to maintain the scoring rate.
As a result, the required run rate kept increasing and the hosts tightened their grip on the match with each passing over.
After Hooda departed for a sloth-paced run-a-ball 11, LSG lost Marcus Stoinis for four to get into deep trouble.
However, spin maestro Rashid Khan castled De Kock to hit the final nail in LSG's coffin, as they huffed and puffed to finish on 171 in 20 overs despite Ayush Badoni's quick-fire cameo of 21 runs.
Mohit Sharma emerged as the wrecker-in-chief with the ball for GT, scalping four wickets for 29 runs.
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