IPL 2023 PBKS vs GT: After Gill’s hammering Tewatia hammers the final nail in the coffin to clinch a 6-wicket victory at Mohali
IPL 2023 PBKS vs GT: Gujarat Titans defeated Punjab Kings by 6 wickets in Mohali on Thursday to win their third match of the 2023 Indian Premier League, days after a heartbreaking defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shubman Gill starred with the bat after Mohit Sharma had taken 2 for 18 off his 4 overs to restrict PBKS to 153 for 8 off their 20 overs. GT held their nerves at the end as Rahul Tewatia hit a boundary off the final over from Sam Curran to seal victory for the defending champions.
Notably, Mohit Sharma marked his return to the IPL with excellent figures of 2/18 as holders Gujarat Titans restricted Punjab Kings to 153 for eight.
IPL 2023 PBKS vs GT: Saha, Gill provide the ideal foundation in a low target clash
Wriddhiman Saha was looking dangerous for a few more runs but he became Kagiso Rabada’s 100th IPL wicket. It was a superb achievement for the South Africa pacer who broke Lasith Malinga’s record for the fastest bowler to 100 wickets in the Indian Premier League.
Wriddhiman Saha set the tone for the Gujarat Titans chase with a brisk 30 off 19 balls. He hit five boundaries in an enterprising knock which made sure GT were under no pressure chasing 154 for their third win of the season.
However, the setback did not affect Gujarat Titans. Shubman Gill took over from Saha and he stayed in touch with the asking rate even as Sai Sudharsan found the going a little tough at the other end.
Shubman Gill has been in spectacular form this year and he was only too happy to bide his time even as the boundaries dried up for a phase of play for the Titans. They were not chasing a big total and the two men in the middle: Gill and skipper Hardik Pandya are smart T20 cricketers.
Rahul Tewatia finishes things off in style
Shubman Gill was cleaned up by Sam Curran by 67, and there was tension in the GT camp.
In came Rahul Tewatia to bat. Tewatia began the third ball of the over with a single, and Miller returned the favour with another. By this time, GT needed four runs off two balls, and Tewatia needed just one of those two to seal the deal.
Tewatia, facing Curran, went down on his knee and played the scoop over short fine leg for a boundary, which were also the winning runs for GT.
IPL 2023: Race to the Playoffs
These are still early stages of the competition, but the Punjab Kings will be looking to jump to the top four in IPL 2023. PBKS are currently placed sixth in the standings with four points while Gujarat Titans are in fourth spot with the same number of points, albeit a superior NRR that of PBKS.
In their last match, Gujarat Titans, the defending champions of IPL, were blown away by Rinku Singh’s heroics against KKR, as they suffered their first defeat of the season. As a result, the Titans will be hoping to get back to winning ways and regain their momentum.
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