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Shubman Gill’s Maiden IPL Ton Thumps SRH as Titans Seal Qualifier 1 Berth


image-lhp43h56Mohammed Shami celebrates one of his three powerplay wickets against SRH (IPLT20.COM)

Gujarat Titans: 188/9 in 20 overs [Shubman Gill 101 (58), Sai Sudharsan 47 (36); Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5/30 (4), Fazalhaq Farooqi 1/31 (3)] beat Sunrisers Hyderabad: 154/9 in 20 overs [Heinrich Klaasen 64 (44), Bhuvneshwar Kumar 27 (26); Mohammed Shami 4/21 (4), Mohit Sharma 4/28 (4)] by 34 runs.

Defending champions Gujarat Titans becomes the first team to book one of the four available playoffs slots of this IPL 2023 season. In their penultimate league game of the tournament, Hardik Pandya and co. flexed their home muscle by slaughtering a clueless Sunrisers Hyderabad side at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

‘Player of the Match’ Shubman Gill brandished his bat at SRH bowlers for nearly 20 overs. The dynamic opener belted his maiden IPL ton and catapulted himself to within touching distance of Faf du Plessis’ tally in the ‘Orange Cap’ race. Later, Titans’ senior Indian speedsters Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma completed the demolition job, amidst Heinrich Klaasen’s commendable-yet-futile run-chase rebellion.

Shubman Gill rockets GT to 188 with Sudharsan

Wriddhiman Saha’s first-over duck courtesy of SRH senior man Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not stop Shubman Gill from unfurling the innings of the match, and possibly the tournament. The 23-year-old talent unleashed boundaries at will and raced to his fifty off just 22 deliveries.

The cricketer formed a 147-run stand with number three Sai Sudharsan, thus forming the highest partnership for any wicket in Titans’ history. Gill also completed 1,000 runs for his franchise and celebrated the occasion with his maiden IPL ton.

His 58-ball 101 catalysed the hosts to 188-9, with Sudharsan’s 47 serving as the next-best effort of the innings. Notably, the innings itself featured as many as four ducks, including three first-ballers, and three other scores ranging between three and eight with Titans veterans Hardik Pandya, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia all falling cheaply.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers from the visiting camp as the seasoned pacer claimed 5-30 off four overs, the second of his illustrious IPL career.

Klaasen delays inevitable before Sharma, Shami’s demolition job

Titans new-ball agent Mohammed Shami struck thrice within the powerplay and later returned to curtail Heinrich Klaasen’s threatening resistance in the death overs. Klaasen himself listed a fighting 44-ball 64 and formed a 68-run stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar after Titans’ speedsters had dashed all SRH hopes at 59-7.

While Shami was responsible for disrupting the entirety of SRH top-order, his teammate Mohit Sharma mopped up the tail as the two senior pacers finished with identical four-fers in their spells.

Promising young talent Yash Dayal also chipped in with a wicket by dismissing in-form SRH opener Abhishek Sharma in his opening over.

Courtesy of Klaasen’s 64 and Kumar’s cautious 27, the visitors eventually stretched themselves to a commendable 154-9, still 34 runs away from their original task. To make matters worse, the big ‘Orange Army’ defeat now makes them the second IPL 2023 side to be completely ousted from the playoffs race after the season’s wooden-spooners Delhi Capitals.