CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Gujarat Titans (GT) jumped to the top of the points table with their third successive win as they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets in the 39th match of the 2023 Indian Premier played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Vijay Shankar’s momentum-changing knock of 51 not out off 24 balls coupled with supporting acts from Shubman Gill (49 off 35) and David Miller (32 off 18) helped GT chase down 180 after a collective bowling performance, led by Mohammed Shami (3/33) had restricted the home side to 179 for seven.
Chasing 180, GT’s Impact Player Gill got the away side off to a breezy start, hitting seven fours in the Powerplay, including three crunching fours through the covers, off Harshit Rana in the third over.
Thereafter, Gill and Hardik Pandya got together, mixed caution with aggression and added 50 off 39 balls. After the dismissal of Pandya, David Miller injected the momentum back with successive sixes off Suyash Sharma to accumulate 18 runs from the over.
With 38 needed off 24, Shankar went after Varun Chakaravarthy, hammering three sixes to turn the tables and amass 24 off the over. That over put GT in the driver’s seat with the away side requiring 14 from 18.
Shankar kept going from strength to strength as he hit a four and a six off Nitish Rana and brought up his fifty off just 24 balls as GT chased down the target with 13 balls and seven wickets to spare.
Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a top score of 81 to help KKR amass 179 for seven from their 20 overs after they were invited to bat first.
The 21-year-old wicket-keeper opening batsman hoisted seven sixes and struck five boundaries during an explosive innings before he was fifth out with the total at 135 in the 16th over.
Gurbaz was severe on his fellow countryman Rashid Khan and raced to his second half century of the current season from 27 balls before he was caught at deep mid-wicket via a brilliant catch from Khan.
Andre Russell then got into the groove, smashing a couple of sixes off Khan, who had a rare off day and went for 54 from his four overs without taking a wicket.
Russell was caught at deep point off the last ball of the innings, but he had done his job by cracking 34 off 19 on his birthday.
Chief scores
Kolkata Knight Riders: 179/7 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 81, Andre Russell 34, Mohammed Shami 3/33, Josh Little 2/25, Noor Ahmad 2/21)
Gujarat Titans: 180/3 in 17.5 overs (Shubman Gill 49, Hardik Pandya 26, Vijay Shankar 51 n.o, David Miller 32 n.o).
