New Chandigarh: Shubman Gill’s majestic 104 off 53 balls and a record 167 run opening partnership with B Sai Sudharsan powered Gujarat Titans to their highest successful chase in the IPL, as they overhauled Rajasthan Royals’ 214 in Qualifier 2 to book a spot in the title clash, where they will take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
On a tricky two paced pitch with variable bounce, RR rode on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s sparkling yet mature 96, Ravindra Jadeja’s attacking 45, and Donovan Ferreira’s whirlwind 38 not out to post 214/6 in their 20 overs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
But Gill stepped up when it mattered the most to score his fifth IPL century, laced with 15 fours and three sixes coming at a strike-rate of 196.23. Though the rest of the GT batters finished off the chase, the game will be remembered for Gill’s brilliant hundred, where he didn’t mistime much and was at his classy best – finding the gaps with ease and being elegant in his pulls and lofts to bring RR’s season to an end.
Sudharsan, meanwhile, hit 58 off 32 balls, before he extraordinarily fell hit wicket for a second consecutive time – losing control of the bat and hitting the stumps. GT’s chase of 215, completed with eight balls to spare, is their highest successful run chase as their usual template of Gill and Sudharsan scoring plenty of runs clicked yet again.
The win now sends them into their third IPL final, where they will face RCB at their home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The clash is a repeat of Qualifier 1, with the league’s top two sides contesting for their second IPL title.
Electing to bat first, RR were jolted early by losses of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel before Jadeja provided impetus before retiring hurt with an elbow injury and returned later to make 45 off 35 balls. Ferreira then tore into Rashid Khan in the final over, bringing 27 runs, including smashing four sixes, to hit 38 off just 11 deliveries, while Sooryavanshi’s knock, different in nature from his Eliminator knock of 97, was just as impactful as his 96 off 47 balls was studded with eight fours and seven sixes.
It also made Sooryavanshi the quickest batter to reach 1000 IPL runs and become the new holder of the record of most boundaries hit by a batter in a single edition of the IPL. The teenager reached his fifty in 31 balls – his slowest half-century in the IPL, but added 46 runs in the next 17 deliveries.
The hallmark of his knock was playing as per the situation with remarkable maturity and range of strokes, though he fell one hit short of a century once again. At 9/2, Jadeja, promoted up the order, joined Sooryavanshi to steady the ship.
The left hander counter attacked, pulling Siraj for boundaries and a six, while Sooryavanshi, troubled by bouncers and not finding his usual timing, launched Rabada over the sightscreen for a 91 metre maximum. The pair rebuilt briskly and hit boundaries well before Jadeja retired hurt due to an elbow issue.
Rashid’s introduction backfired as Riyan Parag and Sooryavanshi hammered him for 18 runs in the ninth over. Jason Holder, however, pulled things back with wickets of Parag and Dasun Shanaka in quick succession, while Jofra Archer’s cameo was brought to a stiff end by Prasidh Krishna to leave RR at 120/5.
Sooryavanshi dropped once on 46 by Sudharsan, capitalised with clean hitting. After bringing up his fifty, he accelerated with audacious strokes – with a forehand slap off Holder and a towering pull off Siraj being the standout shots.
Jadeja returned after treatment and added crucial runs, even as Sooryavanshi cleared Washington Sundar twice for sixes in the 17th over. He looked set for his second IPL hundred of this season, but mistimed the upper cut and was caught at third man off Rabada.
Ferreira then took centre stage. After taking two fours off Prasidh, he unleashed a stunning assault on Rashid in the final over – smashing four consecutive sixes, including an inside out loft over extra cover and a slog sweep over mid wicket, as his late surge lifted RR past the 210-run mark.
GT’s chase began with Sudharsan and Gill taking down Jofra Archer, as 19 runs came off it. Gill then hit back-to-back boundaries against Archer in the latter’s next over to set the tone of a masterful run chase. Nandre Burger leaked more runs, including Sudharsan being dropped on 14 by Donovan Ferreira. Gill’s timing was impeccable, driving and pulling with authority, while Sudharsan matched him stroke for stroke.
By the end of the Power-play, the pair had taken GT to 69 for no loss. Gill continued to dominate, cutting and lofting Brijesh Sharma and Yash Raj Punja with elegance, as he brought up his fifty in 30 balls. Sudharsan too reached his fifty in 26 deliveries with a lofted six off Punja.
The partnership continued to flourish with breathtaking and well-timed boundaries, which meant the asking rate never went out of control, before Sudharsan’s innings ended bizarrely, hit wicket for the second time in successive matches – this time off Brijesh Sharma. Gill, meanwhile, brought up his hundred with a lofted extra cover drive off Ravindra Jadeja and celebrated with his trademark bow.
Though Gill was trapped lbw by Archer, Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar kept the chase on track, adding quick runs in the middle overs. Sundar struck Archer for a six and four, but perished to Burger for 16. Rahul Tewatia struck Brijesh for successive boundaries before sealing victory with a straight six and booking GT’s spot in the final.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 214/6 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 96, Ravindra Jadeja 45 not out; Jason Holder 2-27, Kagiso Rabada 2-45) lost to Gujarat Titans 219/3 in 18.4 overs (Shubman Gill 104, B Sai Sudharsan 58; Nandre Burger 1-35, Brijesh Sharma 1-44) by seven wickets
(IANS)
