Gujarat Titans‘ clash against Punjab Kings produced yet another high-scoring encounter in IPL 2024 with the home side giving away the 2 points to the Punjab Kings, losing to them by 3 wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 4. Despite an all-round performance from Gujarat, Punjab rescued a thrilling win, chasing a mammoth 200 on the night which is the highest successful chase of the season so far.
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Batting first, GT’s opener Wriddhiman Saha struggled throughout his innings and was dismissed cheaply by a Kagiso Rabada delivery in the 3rd over.
The return of Kane Williamson to the field after an injury break sparked excitement among the home fans, but the Kiwi captain could only muster 26 runs upon his return. However, it was skipper Shubman Gill who stole the show with a brilliant innings in the middle.
Captain Gill Fires GT To 199
Gill’s 89* off 48 balls, including 6 fours and 4 sixes, anchored GT’s innings. He received valuable support from the in-form Sai Sudharshan, who contributed 33 runs, as GT posted a formidable total of 199/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Despite their efforts, Punjab’s bowlers struggled to extract much from the pitch and attempted to build pressure through their fielding as well.
Shashank-Ashutosh Win It For PBKS
In reply, despite a good start to the chase by English batter Jonny Bairstow (22), he couldn’t take the game beyond the powerplay and was sent back to the pavilion by a brilliant delivery by Noor Ahmad.
Skipper Shikhar Dhawan was also dismissed at just 1 as he was unable to judge the Umesh Yadav ball and got bowled out.
It was the brilliant spell at the death by impact substitute Ashutosh (31) Shashank Singh (61*) who snatched the victory from Gujarat at the very end. The duo stitched up a brilliant partnership of 53 runs to secure the win for the visitors.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Body Blow For Gujarat Titans, Star Batter To Miss Games