IPL 2023, LSG vs GT: Mohit Sharma's Last-Over Heroics Help GT Win a Cliffhanger
Gujarat Titans sealed a cracking win in the last over [Source: AP]
Gujarat Titans: 135/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 66 (50), Wriddhiman Saha 47 (37); Krunal Pandya 2/16, Marcus Stoinis 2/20) beat Lucknow Super Giants: 128/7 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 68 (61), Kyle Mayers 24 (19); Mohit Sharma 2/17, Noor Ahmed 2/18) by seven runs.
Riding on Hardik Pandya's fighting fifty and bowlers' superb effort in the death overs, Gujarat Titans pipped Lucknow Super Giants by seven runs in the 30th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League season. With this thrilling win, the Titans got two crucial points.
Hardik Pandya's fifty leads GT to a defendable total
Pandya scored a brilliant fifty [Source: AP]
Gujarat Titans: 135/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 66 (50), Wriddhiman Saha 47 (37); Krunal Pandya 2/16, Marcus Stoinis 2/20) beat Lucknow Super Giants: 128/7 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 68 (61), Kyle Mayers 24 (19); Mohit Sharma 2/17, Noor Ahmed 2/18) by seven runs.
After opting to bat first, Lucknow Super Giants suffered an early setback, with Krunal Pandya dismissing Shubman Gill for a silver duck in the second over. However, Wriddhiman Saha and Hardik Pandya steadied the Titans' ship, stitching a vital 68-run stand for the second wicket.
Just when things seemed to be in their control, the Titans lost Saha, Abhinav Manohar and Vijay Shankar in quick succession to find themselves in a precarious situation. However, skipper Hardik Pandya held the fort for the visitors, displaying his composure during a gritty 66-run knock.
His fighting fifty, glittered with two boundaries and four sixes ensured a fitting finish for the Titans, leading them to a respectable 135 following a run-drought in the middle overs.
Krunal Pandya excelled with the ball for LSG, scalping two wickets for only 16 runs in his four-over spell. Marcus Stoinis exhibited his smartness, picking two crucial wickets for 20 runs in three overs.
Mohit Sharma rises to the occasion as GT secure a memorable win
In response, Lucknow Super Giants had a dream start to their innings, with openers KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers adding 55 runs in just 6.3 overs. After Mayers was cleaned up by spin maestro Rashid Khan, Rahul and Krunal Pandya anchored the Super Giants' innings with the utmost perfection, sharing a 51-run partnership for the second wicket.
Rahul amassed a 61-ball 68, with the help of eight boundaries. Pandya, on the other hand, played a perfect fiddle to the skipper, contributing 23 runs in this process.
But after Pandya got out, GT bowlers squeezed LSG's scoring rate to tilt the game in their favour. While Mohammed Shami utilised the reverse swing to keep a well-set Rahul quiet, Mohit Sharma rolled the clock back, displaying amazing variation and control.
As a result, LSG finally succumbed to pressure, as Sharma delivered a stupendous final over to seize the day for the Titans.
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