Prasidh Krishna was named the player of the match for his spell. The right-arm pacer picked up two wickets in his four overs while giving away only 19 runs. It was a tough night for the GT bowling unit in the previous game, which meant that winning this game with such a bowling performance was even more crucial. Krishna dismissed Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, breaking two vital partnerships.
Shubman Gill registered their third half-century in a row. And for the third time, the GT skipper was the top scorer for his team. Opening the innings, Gill was a second fiddle for the initial stage of the power play. However, once he hit his straps, there was no stopping the right-handed batter. He scored 76 runs in only 38 balls, going at a strike rate of 200 while hitting 10 fours and a couple of sixes in the innings.
In a game where the opposition is chasing 225 runs, giving only 19 runs in four overs is equivalent, if not more important than, a wicket itself. However, Prasidh Krishna was not only economical in his spell but also picked up a couple of wickets. He dismissed Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen at crucial junctures of the game and was the pick among the bowlers.
Jos Buttler, with almost every performance in this season has made the Rajasthan Royals regret their decision to let him go. While there is no denying that Buttler is a great player of the tournament, he has been successful at the top of the order in the IPL. However, this season, while batting at number three, Buttler has shown why his class allows him to drop down a spot further.
Abhishek Sharma is known for his ability to change games on their heads with his hard-hitting prowess. The left-handed batter was at his best but did not receive much support from the rest of the batters. He scored 74 runs in 41 balls, hitting four fours and six sixes.
Death, taxes, and the top trio of Gujarat Titans scoring runs are the only certainties in this world. While Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler got to their fifties, Sai Sudharsan was only two runs away from the milestone himself. It was another consistent run from the GT top order. The two openers shared an 87-run stand for the first wicket without losing a wicket in the power play. They scored 83 runs in the first six overs and registered their highest score in the power play.
Even with Sudharsan’s dismissal, the rate of scoring did not dip, with Buttler and Gill carrying on with a positive intent. The GT skipper scored 76 runs at a strike rate of exactly 200 and was dismissed only after a contentious decision went in the favour of the Orange Army. Buttler finished his night with 64 runs in 37 balls after starting a bit cautiously.
For SRH, it was a shoddy night in the field as they let off multiple boundaries and were guilty of dropping a few catches as well. While Jaydev Unadkat picked up three wickets in the final over, it did not make a huge impact on the overall score.
It was a complete bowling performance from the Gujarat Titans. It was only Rashid Khan who bowled more than a single over and remained wicketless. But the Afghan spinner picked up a splendid catch to pick the first wicket.
Prasidh Krishna was the pick among the bowlers and bowled a match-winning spell. He picked up a couple of wickets, dismissing Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. His two wickets broke the highest partnerships of the match. Mohammed Siraj too picked up two scalps while Gerald Coetzee, playing his first game for Gujarat Titans, also got his name etched on the wickets column.
For the SRH, barring Abhishek Sharma, the batters were dismissed on pretty poor scores. While the left-handed opening batter scored 74 runs in only 41 balls, his team still fell short by 38 runs. No other batter could provide him support needed to see off the chase.
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