Shubman Gill. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
In the 32nd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Gujarat Titans (GT) hosted the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both the teams needed a win in this game to keep their hopes for a play-off finish intact. The two sides were present in the bottom half of the league standings and a win could propel either of the two teams to the top half.
The Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bowl first after winning the toss as the bowlers did an amazing job in the powerplay. In-form batter Shubman Gill was sent back by veteran Ishant Sharma in the 2nd over of the game. Wriddhiman Saha and Sai Sudharsan had a small partnership but the duo had to depart shortly as they lost their wickets cheaply. David Miller, who was brought back into the team also couldn’t muster much as he was dismissed for 2 runs.
The lower order of the Gujarat Titans showed some fight as they were trying to score runs and make partnerships. Rishabh Pant, the skipper of the Delhi Capitals, was able to break the partnership with some great glovework behind the wicket. The decision to give the ball to Tristan Stubbs also worked out as he took two wickets in his sole over. Despite Rashid Khan’s crucial cameo of 31, the home side could only muster 89 runs on the board.
The new-look opening pair of Jake Fraser McGurk and Prithvi Shaw took the attacking approach in an attempt to chase down the total with ease. Both the batters lost their wicket trying to up the ante for the side. But the other batters made sure that the hosts had no chance for a comeback in this game. Fittingly, Rishabh Pant stayed at the crease till the end as his side completed the run chase inside 9 overs.
Also Read: IPL 2024: GT vs DC Yesterday’s Match Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more
How can GT still make it to the Playoffs?
Gujarat Titans were one of the favourites ahead of the tournament to lift the Indian Premier League trophy but that has not worked out well for the side. The side will play their next game against the Punjab Kings on Sunday, April 21. The contest is a must-win for the Titans if they want to stay in the hunt for the Playoffs.
After their match at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, the Titans travel to Delhi for the reverse fixture. Shubman Gill and his side would be hoping for two wins from their upcoming matches if they want to stay on course for the top four in this edition of the Indian Premier League.
Also Check: IPL Points Table 2024 | IPL Standings & Team Rankings
However, a win in a couple of games won’t determine their chances in the Playoffs. The Shubman Gill-led side will have to continue their winning momentum in the majority of their remaining fixtures. With seven games still remaining for the two-time finalists, winning in at least five of them will mean GT find themselves in the top four that advance to the business end of the tournament.