Lucknow Super Giants, after being eliminated from the race to the playoffs, made a strong comeback and registered a 33-run victory. It was a great performance with the bat in hand by Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran before the bowlers finished the job while defending a huge target. William O’Rourke was the pick among the bowlers as he picked up three wickets and killed off the chase.
Gujarat Titans score 186/5 in 17 overs. Need 50 runs in 18 balls. Shahrukh: 51* (23)
William O’Rourke has once again provided a much-needed breakthrough. The tall pacer from New Zealand, bowling his final over, struck on the first ball of the 17th over to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford. It took a brilliant catch from Ravi Bishnoi (substitute fielder) to dismiss the West Indian batter. O’Rourke finished the over with another wicket, dismissing the danger man, Rahul Tewatia.
Meanwhile, Shahrukh Khan scored his second fifty in the IPL, reaching the milestone in only 22 balls. It is the fastest fifty by a GT batter this season.
Gujarat Titans score 182/3 in 16 overs. Need 54 runs in 24 balls. Rutherford: 38* (21), Shahrukh: 49* (21)
Shahrukh, for the third time in a row, has started the over on a great note. The 29-year-old got lucky on the first ball of the 16th over with an outside edge going to the boundary. He struck a six on the very next delivery down the ground before hitting a four in a totally opposite direction on the third ball. The required rate is now 13.5 runs per over.
Gujarat Titans score 165/3 in 15 overs. Need 71 runs in 30 balls. Rutherford: 37* (19), Shahrukh: 34* (17)
Once again, Shahrukh Khan started the over with a boundary. The right-handed batter struck a six to start the 15th over by Shahbaz Ahmed. A misfield from Arshin Kulkarni (substitute fielder) allowed Rutherford to hit a four. On the very next delivery, the left-handed batter played one of the best reverse-sweep shots, which went for a six.
The asking rate, which was 15 at the start of the over, has now decreased to 14.2.
Gujarat Titans score 146/3 in 14 overs. Need 90 runs in 36 balls. Rutherford: 25* (15), Shahrukh: 27* (15)
Shahrukh Khan welcomed Avesh Khan into his third over with a cover drive going to the boundary cushion. He struck another four on a low full toss delivery. Sherfane Rutherford ended the over with a six, with 17 runs coming off the over.
Gujarat Titans score 122/3 in 12 overs. Need 114 runs in 48 balls. Rutherford: 15* (10), Shahrukh: 14* (8)
Sherfane Rutherford started the 12th over with a six. Shahrukh Khan too struck a six in the over as the Titans finally got a big over after a long time. The over went for 15 runs but could have gone more for more had Sherfane nailed his three cut shots.
Gujarat Titans score 107/3 in 11 overs. Need 129 runs in 54 balls. Rutherford: 7* (6), Shahrukh: 7* (6)
Things are looking pretty bleak for the hosts. Having lost their top three batters, there is no time for the GT middle order to settle into the innings. The asking rate has gone well beyond 14 runs per over. They are in desperate need of some 20+ runs overs to calm things down.
Gujarat Titans score 97/3 in 10 overs. Need 139 runs in 60 balls. Rutherford: 3* (3), Shahrukh: 1* (3)
Akash Singh, after walking off the field, returned to bowl his final over. The left-arm pacer provided a crucial wicket against the run of play, dismissing Jos Buttler. With the asking rate going beyond 13 runs per over, this is a great time for the Super Giants to push in some quiet overs. It was a brilliant over from Akash as he gave away only three singles in the 10th over.
Gujarat Titans score 85/2 in 8 overs. Need 152 runs in 72 balls. Buttler: 25* (12)
Abdul Samad has picked one of the best catches of this season to dismiss Shubman Gill. Avesh Khan, the bowler, after being hit for 29 runs in his 10 balls, got rid of the GT skipper.
Gujarat Titans score 76/1 in 6 overs. Need 160 runs in 78 balls. Gill: 31* (16), Buttler: 21* (9)
Shahbaz Ahmed was brought into the attack right after the power play. The left-arm spinner was playing after a long time and showed a few signs of rustiness. He bowled a wide delivery before being hit for a four by the GT skipper.
Gujarat Titans score 67/1 in 6 overs. Need 169 runs in 14 overs. Gill: 24* (12), Buttler: 20* (8)
The first ball of the sixth over was driven by Shubman Gill down the ground. Akash Singh got a hand to the ball but ended up injuring himself. Avesh Khan bowled the rest of the over and conceded 20 runs in the five balls he bowled. Jos Buttler, after scoring zero off his first four deliveries, smashed a couple of fours separated by two sixes to get going.
Gujarat Titans score 46/1 in 5 overs. Need 190 runs in 15 overs. Gill: 23* (11), Buttler: 0* (3)
William O’Rourke struck on his third ball and broke the opening stand. Sudharsan, after scoring a brilliant century against the Delhi Capitals in the previous game, was dismissed thanks to a sharp catch from Aiden Markram for a score of 21 runs. The over went for only four runs.
Gujarat Titans score 42/0 in 4 overs. Need 194 runs in 16 overs. Sudharsan: 17* (13), Gill: 23* (11)
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium seems to have eased down a bit. Shubman Gill, after hitting three fours in the previous over, smashed two more fours on the trot in the fourth over. This will make for an exciting chase even with a daunting target.
Gujarat Titans score 33/0 in 3 overs. Need 203 runs in 17 overs. Sudharsan: 16* (11), Gill: 15* (7)
After witnessing Sudharsan smashing a few boundaries, Shubman Gill charged down the pitch to hit his first four on the offside. On the very next delivery, he played a signature jab shot to smash another four. Akash Singh bowled a wide delivery and was then dispatched for the third four in a row.
Gujarat Titans score 19/0 in 2 overs. Need 217 runs in 18 overs. Sudharsan: 15* (10), Gill: 2* (2)
The way Sai Sudharsan is batting, he is currently synonymous with elegance. The left-handed batter is not only smashing poor deliveries to the fence but is also hitting the best balls to boundaries as well. On the second ball of the second over, Sudharsan struck a straight drive to a delivery that swung pretty late into the lefty batter. However, the replays showed that the ball struck his pad first before contact with the bat was made. Had the bowling team opted for a review, it would have been curtains for Sudharsan. The bowler, Akash Deep, missed his line a couple of times and bowled two wides.
Gujarat Titans score 11/0 in 1 over. Need 225 runs in 19 overs. Sudharsan: 10* (5), Gill: 1* (1)
Sai Sudharsan, coming off as an impact sub, struck the first ball of the second innings for a four. Interestingly, the bowler, Akash Singh, too, came into the innings as an impact sub. The left-handed batter smashed another boundary in the over to kickstart the huge chase for the Titans.
Mitchell Marsh has produced a fantastic knock to power Lucknow Super Giants to a score of 235 runs. The Australian batter scored a century, his first in the IPL. Even though the Titans are coming into this clash after chasing 200 runs without a loss of a wicket, it still will be a tough challenge for the hosts. Marsh received a great deal of support from Nicholas Pooran, who also scored a half-century. The left-handed batter was at his best against the spinners before he took the attack against the pacers.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 194/1 after 17 overs. Marsh: 101* (57), Pooran: 49* (22)
Mitchell Marsh, after enjoying a great display of batting and power hitting from Nicholas Pooran, has reached his first century in the Indian Premier League. He became the first overseas batter to score a century this season.
Pooran found some luck as an inside edge on the second ball of the 17th over went to the boundary. The very next delivery, an outside edge went in the air but landed safely. Arshad Khan, after bowling the second over of the innings, came back into the attack.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 180/1 after 16 overs. Marsh: 94* (53), Pooran: 43* (19)
Marsh entered the 90s with a straight drive on the first ball of the 16th over. Looking at the onslaught against his spinners, Shubman Gill turned to Mohammed Siraj to bowl his fourth over. After being hit for a four, Siraj shared a few words with Pooran. He was smashed for a six and a four by the left-hander on the last two balls of the over.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 160/1 after 15 overs. Marsh: 89* (51), Pooran: 29* (15)
Nicholas Pooran has been in an emphatic tough against spinners this season, particularly left-arm spinners. The left-handed batter remained true to his reputation and smashed Sai Kishore for a four and a six in the 15th over. He turned down a single before smashing a six.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 147/1 after 14 overs. Marsh: 87* (49), Pooran: 18* (11)
Rashid Khan, in spite of conceding 25 runs in his first over, was kept in the attack by Shubman Gill. He was smashed for a six on the first ball of the 14th over, this time around by Nicholas Pooran. He made a great comeback in the rest of the over and conceded only five runs off the next five balls.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 132/1 after 12 overs. Marsh: 84* (46), Pooran: 7* (2)
Mitchell Marsh has welcomed Rashid Khan with five boundaries on the trot. The Australian batter smashed a six on the first ball before hitting three fours and another six. Rashid has been under a huge amount of pressure.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 107/1 after 11 overs. Marsh: 59* (40), Pooran: 7* (2)
With Nicholas Pooran at the crease, Shubman Gill has turned to Kagiso Rabada for his third over. The South African pacer has a great record against the left-handed batter and has dismissed him four times in T20s.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 97/1 after 10 overs. Marsh: 51* (35), Pooran: 6* (1)
Sai Kishore provided the much-needed breakthrough in the 10th over. The left-arm spinner dismissed Aiden Markram on the penultimate ball of the over. Nicholas Pooran opened his account with a six on the first ball he faced.
Mitchell Marsh has reached his sixth half-century this season. It has been a great campaign for the Australian batter. He has taken the attack against a formidable bowling unit featuring the likes of some of the best international bowlers.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 71/0 after 8 overs. Markram: 29* (19), Marsh: 39* (29)
Like he did against Prasidh Krishna, Mitchell Marsh welcomed Sai Kishore with a six into his first over. The left-arm spinner replaced Kagiso Rabada in the attack.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 63/0 after 7 overs. Markram: 28* (17), Marsh: 32* (25)
The Purple Cap holder, Prasidh Krishna, came into the attack right after the power play. The right-arm pacer started his spell pretty expensively. He was struck for a four and a six by Mitchell Marsh in the over.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 53/0 after 6 overs. Markram: 28* (17), Marsh: 22* (19)
Aiden Markram has taken the attack against his compatriot, Kagiso Rabada. The South African batter smashed a couple of sixes. It was a wicketless power play for the Super Giants.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 38/0 after 5 overs. Markram: 15* (13), Marsh: 20* (17)
In the absence of Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj has bowled three overs in the power play. The right-arm pacer has been pretty economical, but the empty wickets column will hurt Shubman Gill’s side.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 33/0 after 4 overs. Markram: 15* (12), Marsh: 15* (12)
Kagiso Rabada’s return to the action has not been fruitful. The South African pacer, after conceding 34 runs in two overs against Delhi Capitals, started the over on an expensive note tonight. He conceded seven runs in his first three balls. Once again, Marsh struck one delivery right back at the bowler, who failed to complete the catch. He bounced back strongly by bowling three dots to end the over.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 26/0 after 3 overs. Markram: 15* (9), Marsh: 8* (9)
Mohammed Siraj bowled a great third over. He had produced opportunities to dismiss both batters. Sai Kishore dropped a tough catch of Markram while diving to his left. Siraj was presented with an opportunity to take a return catch to get Mitchell Marsh back into the pavilion. It was a tough return catch for the pacer as the ball was struck pretty hard.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 22/0 after 2 overs. Markram: 12* (7), Marsh: 7* (5)
Arshad Khan, bowling the second over, slipped while attempting to bowl the first ball of the over. There was a slight delay with the left-arm pacer receiving medical attention. He was fit enough to bowl the rest of the over. He bowled a wide down the leg side and then provided some width to Markram on the off side, and he was driven to the off side. The over went from bad to worse with Mitchell Marsh hitting the first six of the clash. He slipped once again while trying to bowl the fifth ball of the over.
Lucknow Super Giants are at 8/0 after 1 over. Markram: 6* (4), Marsh: 1* (2)
Aiden Markram, opening the batting for LSG, struck a four courtesy of a cover drive on the very first ball of the innings. Mohammed Siraj found some movement in the first over. He failed to control the swing and bowled a wide down the leg side.
GT won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (C and wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William O’Rourke
Given how the push for the top two positions is necessary, the Gujarat Titans will be expected to play with a similar bunch of players from their previous games. A win against the Lucknow Super Giants would certainly increase their chances of remaining in the top two when the league stage ends.
For the Super Giants, while this season is over, their last two remaining games provide an opportunity for testing out players for the next seasons. An obvious miss for this game would be Digvesh Rathi, who was banned from the clash thanks to his altercation with Abhishek Sharma.
Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (C and wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, William O'Rourke
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