Shubman Gill eclipsed Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s high-quality knock with a stunning half-century as Gujarat Titans started their title defence with a convincing five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings within the IPL opener in Ahmedabad on Friday. Gaikwad was all class in his 92 off 50 balls earlier than Titans pulled issues again within the center overs to restrict Chennai Super Kings to 178 for seven after opting to bowl first in entrance of a close to capability crowd on the world’s largest cricket stadium. In the type of his life over the previous three months, Gill performed some jaw-dropping strokes in his 63 off 36 balls to arrange a advantageous win for the house workforce. Titans received house in 19.2 overs.
Gill’s opening companion Wriddhiman Saha confirmed he has nonetheless received it as he smashed a few sixes and as many fours in his 16-ball 25 that received the Titans going within the run chase.
Gill’s finest shot of the innings was the again foot punch off CSK’s influence participant Tushar Deshpande and he adopted with a choose up shot over midwicket. Titans’ influence participant Sai Sudharsan, who was used rather than an injured Kane Williamson, contributed with 22 off 17 balls.
When Gill departed, Titans wanted 41 off the final 5 overs however CSK managed to take the sport right down to the wire.
It wanted a cameo from Rashid Khan (10 not out off 3) to settled the nerves within the Titans dressing room.
Earlier, it was a show of easy hitting from Gaikwad, who relied on his lofted drives over additional cowl and crisp pull pictures to gather as many as 9 sixes.
Apart from Gaikwad, the one different batter who put the Titans underneath stress was Moeen Ali who got here up with a 17-ball 23. Ali’s flat six off Mohammad Shami on a free-hit ball was the spotlight of his cameo.
Gaikwad pulled IPL debutant Joshua Little on his very first ball to set the tone of his innings. That over went for 15 runs and with Shami conceding 17 runs within the following over, CSK received the momentum they had been in search of.
Titans’ trump card Rashid Khan was launched within the powerplay and as he usually does, he received the wicket that his workforce was in search of by getting the damaging wanting Ali caught behind.
Rashid’s second over noticed him eliminating England Test captain Ben Stokes, who too was caught by wicketkeeper Saha, leaving CSK at 70 for 3.
However, the autumn of wickets didn’t make Gaikwad change his recreation as he saved getting the boundaries. He welcomed Alzarri Joseph into the assault by smashing him for 3 sixes within the eighth over.
Titans did properly to stem the movement of runs within the center overs and received the wicket of Ambati Rayudu.
Shivam Dube struggled to search out the massive hits and that put stress on Gaikwad who was caught within the deep within the seventeenth over and missed out on a deserving hundred.
Skipper M S Dhoni got here out to bat at quantity eight however nonetheless managed to make an influence as he pulled Little for a six earlier than flicking him for a 4 within the ultimate over, sending the gang right into a frenzy.
Williamson injured his knee whereas fielding on the boundary and limped off the sphere.
The final 5 overs yielded 45 runs for CSK.
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