CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – The defending champions Gujarat Titans consolidated their top position in the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table with a smashing 56-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the 51st match of the tournament played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
With 16 points from 11 matches, the Titans now have one foot in the playoffs but the Super Giants, who are now winless in the last three games, still hold on to the third spot in the standings with a total of 11 points from five wins.
Titans’ eighth victory this season was fashioned by Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, who figured in a fascinating opening stand of 142 runs from just 12.1 overs after they were invited to take first lease of the wicket.
Their efforts helped the Titans to amass a massive 227 for two from their 20 overs and thereafter, Mohit Sharma led the way with the ball with a fantastic spell of 4-0-29-4 to reduce the Super Giants to 171 for seven.
However, the Super Giants had to survive few anxious moments from the aggressive opening pair of Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock, who led the run chase by adding 88 runs in 8.2 overs.
Mayers smashed 48 from just 32 balls with the help of two sixes and seven boundaries while De Kock hit a top score of 70 from 41 deliveries inclusive of three sixes and seven boundaries.
Mayers was off the blocks early as he cracked three consecutive fours off Hardik Pandya in the second over while De Kock joined the party, hitting a couple of fours off Mohammed Shami in the third over.
The pair took the attack to the spinners – Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad – and accumulated 22 runs off two overs to take the score to 72 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay.
It took a moment of brilliance to break the 88-run opening partnership as Rashid pulled off a magnificent running catch, to dismiss Mayers off Sharma.
With the required run-rate climbing over 21, De Kock looked to accelerate but departed in doing so as he missed his swing across the line and was cleaned up by Rashid.
Ayush Badoni hit some crucial runs which would help the Titans’ net run-rate a bit but overall, they fell well short of their target.
Chief scores
Gujarat Titans: 227/2 in 20 overs (Wriddhiman Saha 81, Shubman Gill 94 n.o, Hardick Pandya 25, David Miller 21 n.o)
Lucknow Super Giants: 171/7 in 20 overs (Kyle Meyers 48, Quinton de Kock 70, Ayush Badoni 21, Mohit Sharma 4/29).
