Opener smashes another imperious ton, his 3rd of season, as GT make IPL final with 62-run win over MI
AHMEDABAD: Pacer Mohit Sharma (5/10) didn't allow opener Shubman Gill's brilliance to go waste as he produced a crucial two-wicket over to dent whatever little chance Mumbai Indians had of overhauling a mammoth 234-run target set by the Titans on Friday night.
Mohit, a wily operator who runs in diligently, bangs the ball hard into the pitch, and hardly celebrates, castled dangerman Suryakumar Yadav for 61 (38b; 7x4, 2x6) while attempting a scoop over fine leg. That was game, set and match for the Titans as they coasted to a 62-run win over their western neighbours in the second qualifier to set up a Sunday showdown against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings. This is their second consecutive appearance in the final.
The star of the show, of course, was Gujarat opener Shubman Gill, who delivered another batting masterclass, cutting, pulling, flicking and short-arm jabbing his way to 129 (60b; 10x6, 7x4) to help the Titans to 233/3 on a balmy Friday evening. This was his second straight ton here and third in the last four matches.
1/10:IPL 2023: Gill ton helps GT beat MI to reach final
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2/10:Shubman Gill
<p>Red-hot Shubman Gill smashed his third century of the IPL season to help defending champions Gujarat Titans hammer Mumbai Indians by 62 runs on Friday and set up a final against Chennai Super Kings. </p>PTI
3/10:126 off 60
<p>Gill's 126 off 60 balls powered Gujarat to 233/3, a total they defended by bowling out five-time winners Mumbai for 171 in 18.2 overs in Qualifier 2 which started late due to rain in Ahmedabad. </p>IANS
4/10:10 sixes
<p>Gill hit 10 sixes in his knock and put on a second-wicket stand of 138 with Sai Sudharsan (43), to tear into the MI attack. </p>IANS
5/10:Orange Cap
<p>Gill became the leading batsman this season with 851 runs, surpassing RCB skipper Faf du Plessis (730), before he reached his IPL best and the top score of this season. </p>ANI
6/10:Costly chance
<p>Opener Gill made the most of a reprieve on 30 when Tim David dropped him off Chris Jordan. </p>PTI
7/10:49-ball ton
<p>The 23-year-old Gill brought up his fifty in 32 balls and then exploded to smash sixes and reach his hundred in 49 balls. </p>IANS
8/10:Gill departs
<p>Gill finally fell to Akash Madhwal and Sudharsan retired out before skipper Hardik Pandya (28*), and Rashid Khan finished the innings with 19 runs in the final over. </p>PTI
9/10:Ishan Kishan
<p>Mumbai's worries increased when Ishan Kishan was injured by team-mate Jordan's elbow and was later replaced by concussion substitute Vishnu Vinod. </p>Getty Images
10/10:Mohit Sharma
<p>Mohit Sharma took five wickets for Gujarat after a valiant 61 by Suryakumar Yadav. </p>ANIAfter a sedate opening stand with Wriddhiman Saha, in which the first five overs yielded 38 runs, Gill got stuck into Chris Jordan, who had an ordinary day with the ball. Gill was dropped by Tim David at mid-on while batting on 30 in the last over of the Powerplay and that was all the luck he needed.
Gill smashed MI's highest wicket-taker Piyush Chawla straight over his head for a six, before launching left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya over square leg for another maximum as the Titans raced to 91 in 10 overs.
In the 11th over, MI's bowling sensation this season, Akash Madhwal, was clobbered for three stunning sixes over the leg side boundary. Chawla was then smashed for 16 in the next over and for a while, it seemed Gill was batting from both ends.
After getting to his hundred with a single off a Cameron Green delivery, Gill celebrated by leaping into the air, arms aloft, before bowing in his customary style. He struck Green for two more sixes and hit three more boundaries before holing out to midwicket off Madhwal's bowling.
If MI had any chance of hunting down the huge total, they needed either of captain Rohit Sharma or Ishan Kishan to play a blinder of a knock.
With Kishan injured and impact player Nehal Wadhera dismissed for 4 (3b; 1x4) and Sharma departing early for 8 (7b; 1x4), it was down to the MI middle order of Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Cameron Green to go for it.
Varma smashed some superb boundaries in his 43 (14b; 5x4, 6x3) before a special delivery by Afghan leg spinner Rashid Khan castled him.
Green and Yadav added 52 runs in quick time but impact player Josh Little announced his arrival from international duty by knocking over Green for 30 (20b; 2x4, 2x6). Despite Yadav hitting a fine half-century, he could not match Gill's six-hitting.
