Xtra Time Web Desk: Wriddhiman Saha’s brisk knock of 30 off 19 balls set the tone for Gujarat Titans’ chase as they defeated Punjab Kings by 6 wickets in their third match of the 2023 Indian Premier League. Saha, who had been a crucial member of GT’s batting line-up in their previous championship-winning campaign, showed his ability to score boundaries in the Powerplay and provided a solid start to the chase. However, he fell to Kagiso Rabada, who claimed his 100th IPL wicket and became the fastest bowler to reach that milestone, breaking Lasith Malinga’s record.
Shubman Gill (67 off 49) then took over from Saha and played a classy innings, staying in touch with the required run rate even as wickets fell at the other end. Sai Sudharsan struggled to score, but Gill remained composed and brought up his second fifty of the season with a boundary off Rahul Chahar. The equation came down to 34 runs off the final 4 overs, and GT’s smart T20 cricketers, Gill and skipper Hardik Pandya, kept their cool.
Pandya played a beautiful drive off Rabada to show his confidence, but he holed out to the deep off Harpreet Brar, failing to change his fortunes with the bat in this edition of the IPL. David Miller joined Gill in the middle, and the two continued to chip away at the target. Gill fell in the last over to Sam Curran, but Rahul Tewatia hit the winning runs with one ball to spare, securing GT’s third win of the season.
Earlier, GT’s bowlers, led by Mohit Sharma, had restricted PBKS to 153 for 8 off their 20 overs. PBKS had a lethargic batting performance, with Prabhsimran Singh falling for a golden duck for the second consecutive match, and Shikhar Dhawan, the Orange Cap holder, failing for the first time this season. Matthew Short and Shahrukh Khan were the standout batters for PBKS, making useful contributions, but GT’s bowlers, including Hardik Pandya who returned to the playing XI, kept them in check.
With this win, GT bounced back from their previous defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders and continued their mastery in chasing targets in the IPL. Shubman Gill’s impressive form with the bat, along with the contributions from Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, and David Miller, bodes well for GT’s title defense in the 2023 IPL season.