New Chandigarh: Led by a magnificent century from Shubman Gill (104 off 53 balls, 15 fours, 3 sixes), the Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to enter the IPL final for the third time. Gujarat will now face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final at Ahmedabad on Sunday (7:30 pm IST).
Gill and fellow opener Sai Sudharsan (58 off 32 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) stitched together a brilliant 167-run partnership in just 12.5 overs. Chasing a daunting target of 215, Gujarat cruised to 219/3 in 18.4 overs.
Gill and Sudharsan executed their pre-planned strategy perfectly, tackling every Rajasthan bowler with composure and intelligence. They kept the bowlers under constant pressure and forced the fielders to work hard. Unfortunately for Sudharsan, he was dismissed hit-wicket for the second consecutive match, while Gill lost his wicket shortly after completing a superb century.
Earlier, Rajasthan posted a massive 214/6 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first, setting Gujarat a challenging target of 215. Teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi played a breathtaking yet responsible innings of 96 from 47 balls, smashing eight fours and seven sixes. However, he fell just four runs short of a century, mistiming a shot in his eagerness to reach the milestone.
The young star from Bihar showed maturity and aggression in equal measure, but once again missed out on a hundred due to a lapse in judgment. He offered a simple catch to Krishna at deep third man off Kagiso Rabada when on 96. Just two days earlier against Hyderabad, he had fallen for 97 while attempting a similarly ambitious shot, missing a record-breaking century by only three runs.
Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also played a memorable knock, remaining unbeaten on 45 from 35 balls with five fours and a six. His effort was particularly admirable because he returned to bat despite suffering a hand injury and anchored one end until the finish.
At the death, No. 8 batter Donovan Ferreira stole the spotlight with an unbeaten 38 off just 11 deliveries. He hammered four sixes in five balls, including three consecutive maximums in the final over bowled by Rashid Khan.
For Gujarat, Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder claimed two wickets each, while Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took one apiece. Rashid Khan conceded 45 runs without taking a wicket, while Washington Sundar went wicketless for 23 runs.
Vaibhav Breaks Russell’s Record: Fastest to 1,000 IPL Runs
Vaibhav Suryavanshi achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the fastest player in IPL history to score 1,000 runs. He reached the landmark in just 440 balls, surpassing the previous record held by Andre Russell, who had taken 545 balls. Tim David is third on the list, having reached the mark in 560 deliveries.
Sudharsan Creates Unwanted Record with Back-to-Back Hit-Wicket Dismissals
Sai Sudharsan’s innings ended in unusual fashion as he was dismissed hit-wicket during Gujarat’s chase, creating an unwanted IPL record. He became the first player to be dismissed hit-wicket in two consecutive T20 matches.
In Qualifier 1 against Bengaluru, Sudharsan’s bat slipped from his hands and struck the stumps, dislodging the bails. The same scenario unfolded again in New Chandigarh, where sweat caused the bat to slip after he played a shot, and it crashed directly into the stumps.
Sudharsan has now been dismissed hit-wicket three times in IPL history, making him the only player to suffer that fate on three occasions.
Meanwhile, captain Shubman Gill completed a magnificent century before being trapped lbw by Jofra Archer for 104. At the end of the 15th over, Gujarat were cruising at 182/2 in pursuit of 215, with the result virtually sealed.
Also Read: Sooryavanshi’s Powerplay Dominance or GT’s New-Ball Strategy?