Gujarat Titans won the toss against Punjab Kings and decided to bat first — becoming the first team to do so in a night game in this edition of the Indian Premier League. But the move didn’t pay off as Punjab Kings rode on Kagiso Rabada’s four for 33 and Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten 62 (53b, 8x4, 1x6) to beat Titans by eight wickets at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Tuesday.
After Rabada restricted Titans to 143 for eight, despite an unbeaten 65 by B. Sai Sudharsan, Punjab Kings lost its opener Jonny Bairstow early.
But Dhawan stepped up and forged an 87-run stand with Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40, 28b, 5x4, 1x6) for the second wicket to ensure that there was no slip-up.
While Dhawan, who scored his third half-century of the season, started cautiously, Rajapaksa looked aggressive — hitting Mohammed Shami for a couple of fours in the third over. Dhawan, too, joined with a six and a four off Alzarri Joseph in the next over.
As Lockie Ferguson bowled the 12th over, Dhawan brought up his 47th IPL half-century. Two deliveries later, Rajapaksa sent Ferguson for a six, but was trapped leg before off the next ball. By then, Kings needed only 47 runs from 48 deliveries and with Dhawan and Liam Livingstone (30 n.o., 10b, 2x4, 3x6) around. Livingstone picked up 28 runs in the 16th over bowled by Shami to ensure Kings romped home with 24 balls to spare.
Earlier, with a spot in the playoffs almost assured, Titans decided to defend a total. But that plan did not yield the desired result as the side was reeling at 46 for three in seven overs, losing openers Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill and captain Hardik Pandya.
Sudharsan put on a 23-run stand with big-hitter David Miller, but that was not enough as Rabada caught the South African batter at long-off, off Livingstone.
Featuring in his fourth IPL game of the season, the Chennai-based Sudharsan added another 45 runs with Rahul Tewatia for the fifth wicket before Rabada tempted the latter to offer a catch to Sandeep Sharma at short third-man. Even though Sudharsan scored his first half-century of the tournament, it wasn’t enough.
