GT vs LSG, IPL 2023 | Mohit Sharma’s deadly bowling after Gill-Saha’s stormy innings, GT beat LSG by 56 runs

PTI Photo AHMEDABAD: Openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha struck blistering half-centuries and Mohit Sharma’s four-for helped Gujarat Titans beat Lucknow Supergiants by 56 runs in a one-sided Indian Premier League match here on Sunday. consolidated their position at the top of the table. The team has 16 points from eight wins in 11 matches, which has strengthened its claim to make it to the play-offs. Lucknow’s team is in third place with 11 points in 11 matches. Chasing Titans’ mammoth target of 228, the Super Giants could only manage 171 for seven despite a half-century from Quinton Dickock (70) and an 88-run opening partnership with Kyle Myers (48). Apart from Dickock and Myers, only Ayush Badoni (21) could cross the 20-run mark. Mohit took four wickets for 29 runs from Titans. Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed took one wicket each. The Titans had earlier taken two wickets in a 142-run partnership in 12.1 overs between Gill (94 not out from 51 balls, two fours, seven sixes) and Saha (81 from 43 balls, 10 fours, four sixes) in 12.1 overs. But scored 227 runs, which is the team’s highest score in IPL. Also, it is also the biggest partnership of any wicket from the team. Captain Hardik Pandya (25) and David Miller (21 not out) also made useful contributions. Chasing the target, the pair of Myers and Dickock also gave a good start to the Super Giants. Both scored 72 runs without losing a wicket in the power play. Myers hit three consecutive fours in the second over of Hardik’s innings. In the next over, Dickock hit Shami for two fours in consecutive balls while Myers hit a six and a four to collect 19 runs. Myers, however, got lucky in Hardik’s next over when Rashid dropped a simple catch. Rashid, however, made up for it by taking a brilliant catch of Myers off Mohit’s bowling. He hit seven fours and two sixes in his 32-ball innings. Dickock took the team’s score past 100 runs in the 10th over with a six over Hardik. Dickock completed his half-century in 31 balls with one run off Shami but Deepak Hooda (11) handed a simple catch to Rahul Tewatia off the fast bowler’s bowling. Lucknow’s team could only manage 19 runs in four overs from 11th to 14th over, which increased the pressure on the batsmen. De Kock ended the 26-ball boundary drought with a six over Mohit but in the same over, Marcus Stoinis (04) had Shami caught at short third man. The Lucknow team needed 98 runs in the last five overs to win. Dickock hit Rashid for a six but was bowled by the leg-spinner. He faced 41 balls and hit seven fours and three sixes. Noor Ahmed then sent Nicholas Pooran (03) to the pavilion, which shattered Lucknow’s true hope of winning. Also read Lucknow needed 73 runs in the last two overs and the team could not reach even near this score. Super Giants captain Krunal Pandya won the toss and decided to bowl first, after which Saha and Gill got the team off to a stormy start. The pair added 78 runs without losing a wicket in the power play, which is a record for Titans in IPL. Saha showed stormy attitude from the beginning. He also hit Avesh Khan for a six and a four in consecutive balls after hitting Mohsin Khan (1/42) for two consecutive fours in the first over. Saha hit two sixes and two fours in the fourth over of Mohsin’s innings to collect 22 runs while Gill also hit Krunal and Yash Thakur for sixes. Saha hit Thakur for a six to bring up his fifty in just 20 balls, his fastest fifty in the IPL. Saha welcomed Kyle Myers with three fours while Gill hit Ravi Bishnoi for a six to bring up his team’s hundred in the ninth over. Gill completed his fourth half-century of the current tournament in 29 balls with one run off Krunal. Saha, however, was caught by substitute Prerak Mankad at the boundary in the 13th over trying to play a big shot on Avesh (one for 34). Gill and Hardik hit Marcus Stoinis for sixes to take Gujarat to 176 for one in 15 overs. Mohsin gave another blow to Gujarat by catching Hardik at the hands of Krunal in the covers. Miller completed his team’s double century in the 18th over with a four off Yash Thakur. Miller charged in the 19th over while Gill hit Thakur for a six in the final over. (agency)