When Wriddhiman Saha was told by Team India coach Rahul Dravid that his international career might be over, the senior wicketkeeper-batsman was hurt. But instead of sulking over it, the Bengal player did his best to channelize it in a direction that would go a long way in helping Gujarat Titans clinch a top-two berth in the IPL table.
Maintaining his consistent run in the tournament so far, Saha's unbeaten 67 off 57 balls against Chennai Super Kings on a Wankhede pitch where the ball was stopping a bit ensured that debutants Gujarat Titans will get two cracks (if necessary) to make the final.
1/6:ON THE TOP
<p>Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten 67 led Gujarat Titans to a thumping seven-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings on Sunday and a top-two finish in the IPL 2022 league stage. (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)</p>
2/6:THE SAHA-SHOW
<p>Chasing a tricky 134 for victory, table-toppers Gujarat reached the target with five balls to spare on the back of Saha's 57-ball knock at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)</p>
3/6:WHAT A PERFORMANCE
<p>A disciplined attack led by fast bowler Mohammed Shami set up the win for Gujarat. The pacer returned figures of 2-19 including the key wickets of Devon Conway, for five, and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, for seven, to restrict title holders Chennai to 133-5. (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)</p>
4/6:POOR SHOW
<p>The four-time winners slumped to their ninth loss in 13 matches to stay just one spot above bottom-placed Mumbai Indians in the 10-team table. (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)</p>
5/6:STRONG CONTENDERS
<p>Gujarat, one of two newcomers to the Twenty20 tournament and the first team to qualify for the play-offs, now have 10 victories in 13 matches. (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)</p>
6/6:BIG TEST
<p>The top two teams among the final four in the play-offs will have a second shot at making the title clash even if they lose their first qualifier on May 24. They will play the winner of the eliminator -- between teams three and four -- in the second qualifier to have a chance of entering the final scheduled for May 29 in Ahmedabad. (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)</p>The spadework of Sunday's win was done by Gujarat bowlers who kept CSK to 133/5. Saha, after a couple of lucky edges that went to the fence in the first over and a dropped catch by Ruturaj Gaikwad early on, saw to it that there was no unnecessary drama in the chase.
In the Powerplay overs, he swung at anything pitched up to him and cleared the inner ring quite a few times. The CSK attack didn't have enough to bother Saha and his opening partner Shubhman Gill and with 59 off 7 overs, Titans were in control.
For CSK though, Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana (2/24), playing his first match, was like a breath of fresh air. He got Gill out with a yorker in the first ball of his IPL career and gave all right-handers a difficult time, even going on to dismiss Hardik Pandya. His radar seemed just a little off against left-handers but CSK can work on him to produce the new Lasith Malinga in the days to come.
While Saha stole the show with the bat, Mohammed Shami (2-19) removed the in-form CSK opener Devon Conway with one that left the southpaw in the first over. Shami was right on the mark both in his first and second spells that stopped CSK on their tracks. After the initial jolt, CSK had gathered themselves a bit, reaching 100 by the 15th over, but the last five overs were a huge let-down. With MS Dhoni at the crease, CSK could only manage 24 runs, losing three wickets.
