The previous occasion Gujarat Titans met Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, B. Sai Sudharsan stroked his way to a brilliant 96 in the 2023 IPL final in a losing cause.
Against the same opponent on Friday, Sai Sudharsan went on to score his maiden IPL hundred (103, 51b, 5x4, 7x6) to power Titans to 231 for three after being asked to bat.
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The opener had his partner Shubman Gill to guide him along. The skipper made a hundred of his own (104, 55b, 9x4, 6x6) as the two made mincemeat of a hapless Super Kings attack during their 210-run partnership and set up a 35-run win. The duo made optimum use of the good batting conditions, displaying their full range with a mix of conventional batting and smart improvisation.
Right from the first ball he faced, Gill showed he meant business; he cut Mitchell Santner for a four and deposited him over long-on in the first over.
Sai Sudharsan joined the party with a couple of sixes. He then went after Ravindra Jadeja, targeting the leg-side boundary and getting to his half-century with a slog-swept six.
Ruturaj Gaikwad had to rely on seamers Simarjeet Singh and Daryl Mitchell as the spinners struggled, but the plan backfired. The floodgates opened in the 11th over when Gill pulled Simarjeet over fine-leg for a maximum to reach his half-century before Sai Sudharsan finished the over with a brace of sixes.
Gill turned his attention to Daryl Mitchell in the 14th over, smashing three sixes. To make it more agonising for the bowler, Tushar Deshpande dropped the second shot at long-off when the batter was on 72.
As they had done throughout their innings, Gill and Sai Sudharsan majestically touched the three-figure mark in the 17th over bowled by Simarjeet. While the former punished a full toss, the latter scooped the ball over fine-leg for a maximum.
Though Deshpande and Shardul Thakur pulled things back for Super Kings in the final five overs, they couldn’t stop Titans from making a mammoth total.
Chasing a target of 232, CSK was reduced to 10 for three. Mitchell (63) and Moeen Ali (56) put up a fight, adding 109 for the fourth wicket. Mohit Sharma weaved his magic, foxing Mitchell and Moeen with slower deliveries as the chase fizzled out. With their fifth victory, Titans lived to fight another day.
SCOREBOARD
GUJARAT TITANS
B. Sai Sudharsan c Dube b Deshpande 103 (51b, 5x4, 7x6), Shubman Gill c Jadeja b Deshpande 104 (55b, 9x4, 6x6), David Miller (not out) 16 (11b, 1x4), M. Shahrukh Khan run out 2 (3b); Extras (lb-1, w-5): 6; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 231.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-210 (Sai Sudharsan, 17.2 overs), 2-213 (Gill, 17.6), 3-231 (Shahrukh, 19.6).
SUPER KINGS BOWLING
Santner 2-0-31-0, Deshpande 4-0-33-2, Shardul 4-0-25-0, Simarjeet 4-0-60-0, Jadeja 2-0-29-0, Mitchell 4-0-52-0.
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
Ajinkya Rahane (Impact Player in place of Deshpande) c Tewatia b Warrier 1 (5b), Rachin Ravindra run out 1 (2b), Ruturaj Gaikwad c Rashid b Umesh 0 (3b), Daryl Mitchell c Shahrukh b Mohit 63 (34b, 7x4, 3x6), Moeen Ali c Noor b Mohit 56 (36b, 4x4, 4x6), Shivam Dube c Noor b Mohit 21 (13b, 2x4, 1x6), Ravindra Jadeja c Miller b Rashid 18 (10b, 2x4, 1x6), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 26 (11b, 1x4, 3x6), Mitchell Santner b Rashid 0 (2b), Shardul Thakur (not out) 3 (4b): Extras (lb-3, w-4): 7; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 196.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-2 (Ravindra, 0.6), 2-2 (Rahane, 1.1), 3-10 (Ruturaj, 2.5), 4-119 (Mitchell, 12.2), 5-135 (Moeen, 14.2), 6-165 (Dube, 16.4), 7-169 (Jadeja, 17.3), 8-169 (Santner, 17.5).
TITANS BOWLING
Umesh 3-0-20-1, Warrier (Impact Player in place of Sai Sudharsan) 3-0-28-1, Tyagi 4-0-51-0, Noor 2-0-25-0, Rashid 4-0-38-2, Mohit 4-0-31-3.
Toss: CSK. PoM: Gill.
Titans won by 35 runs.
