Gujarat Titans (GT) got back to winning ways in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023 after dispatching Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a one-sided contest in Mohali. While Hardik Pandya’s bowlers did the job with the ball, restricting the home side to just 153 runs on a batting-friendly track in the first innings, Shubman Gill’s composed half-century followed by Rahul Tewatia’s ice-cool finish took the defending champions home in a dominant display.
Pursuing a modest total, the Gujarat Titans got off to a flying start, thanks to a 48-run opening stand between Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, with the former being the aggressor in the powerplay. Saha’s dismissal in the fifth over after a brisk innings did put a lid on the scoring rate, but his opening partner kept the scoreboard ticking from the other end.
Sai Sudharsan, who came into the game on the back of two successive half-centuries, failed to convert his start into a big innings as the home side sniffed an unlikely comeback into the contest. It wasn’t a happy return for Hardik Pandya either, who was dismissed for a cheap score in the tournament for third time.
However, Gill’s purple patch with the bat in 2023 continued as he anchored the innings with a steady half-century, his second of this year’s tournament. But his dismissal in the final over of the match did reignite the hopes of the home side before Rahul Tewatia finished off the game with a nonchalant boundary.
Punjab Kings stutter after a decent powerplay
Gujarat Titans’ influential skipper Hardik Pandya, who missed the game against KKR, won the toss on his return and decided to bowl first on a decent batting track in Mohali. His decision turned out to be a masterstroke as Mohammed Shami dismissed Punjab Kings’ Prabhsimran Singh for a two-ball duck in the very first over of the match.
Shikhar Dhawan and Matthew Short did steady the ship for a brief while with some delightful shots before the skipper fell for a cheap score in the powerplay. Short, playing just his second IPL match, raised the hopes of the home side with an enterprising knock. However, his dismissal by the infallible Rashid Khan brought the visitors back into the contest.
Punjab Kings were caught in a tangle in the middle overs as the triumvirate of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, and Sam Curran failed to get going against the disciplined Gujarat bowlers. The home side were heading towards a well below-par total in the first innings before Shahrukh Khan played an explosive cameo to take his side to a respectable total of 153 runs in their 20 overs.