Picture : BCCI
Defending Champions Gujarat Titans returned back to winning ways with a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in their Tata IPL 2023 encounter at packed Mohali. Mohit Sharma’s excellent return to the IPL and Shubman Gill’s 49-ball 67 were the highlights of Titans emphatic win.
Medium pacer Mohit marked his comeback with figures of 2/18 as holders GT restricted PBKS to 153 for eight. Playing in his first game in the league since 2020, Mohit was exceptional in the penultimate over, giving away as little as six runs. MOhit had played for sveral franchises in IPL from Punjab Kings To Chennai Supoer Kings . So he used his vast experiance.
In reply Gill led the way with his fine half-century as GT completed the chase of 154 in 19.5 overs, four days after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. GT were off to a flyer and scored 56 in the six powerplay overs with the Gill going great guns.
For PBKS, Matthew Short top-scored with a 24-ball 36 but it was Masood Shahrukh Khan’s nine-ball 22, which helped the team cross 150. Earlier Put into bat Punjab lost opener Prabhsimran Singh in the second ball of the over when his attempted flick off a length ball from Mohammed Shami went straight to Rashid Khan at short midwicket. Prabhsimran departed without scoring.
just when PBKS seemed to be putting GT under pressure Little gave his team a huge breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous Dhawan (8) who came down the track to play the lofted shot, only to end up giving a catch to Alzarri Joseph.
GT got another big wicket when the ever-reliable Rashid (1/26 in 4 overs) foxed a well-settled Short with a googly with PBKS’s score reading 55 for three in the seventh over.
Short’s dismissal set PBKS a bit, and it became trickier when Jitesh Sharma (25 off 23 balls) was sent back by Mohit, thanks to a smart piece of work by Wriddhiman Saha behind the wickets. Wriddhiman Saha forced Skipper Hardik to go for DRS caught behind appeal. And he was proved right.
Sam Curran (22) struck a much-needed six — a big maximum over deep midwicket after star leg-spinner Rashid missed his length.
PBKS Impact Player: Rahul Chahar replaces Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Match: IPL 2023, 18th Match
Venue: Mohali | Date: April 13, 2023
