In the afternoon match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 7), Gujarat Titans defeated Lucknow Super Giants by a margin of 56 runs thanks to a strong showing with the bat and disciplined bowling in the second half of their bowling innings. The victory allowed the Titans to increase their lead over the competition and move to 16 points after 11 games.
Game analysis
With their 142-run opening stand, Wriddhiman Saha (81 off 43) and Shubman Gill (94* off 51) sent the LSG bowlers on the run, setting the stage for the Titans to end with a huge total of 227/2. Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock spearheaded a potent reply, but LSG ran out of gas as a result of the Titans’ skillful bowling, which limited the opposition to 171/7 and helped them maintain their unblemished record against the Lucknow squad. With the ball, Mohit Sharma shone for GT, accumulating 4-29 from his four overs.
Saha turns fifty with a bang while Mohsin makes a forgettable comeback
After returning from injury and bowling for the first time in this IPL, Mohsin Khan appeared to be somewhat rusty, and Saha took full advantage of it to propel the Titans to an explosive start. As he quickly reached a 20-ball fifty, the fastest for the Titans in the IPL, he dispatched the short deliveries with ease and also creamed drives to and over the boundary. Avesh Khan, Krunal Pandya, and Yash Thakur were also not spared as the GT openers hit up to six sixes and six fours in the powerplay, resulting in Mohsin giving up 34 runs off his two overs. As GT sped to 78/0 in the first six overs—their biggest PP score and the fourth-highest in the PP this season—Gill was content playing second fiddle but he also smashed a couple of sixes.
LSG has no time to breathe as Gill begins playing
A quiet four-run over from Ravi Bishnoi and a six-run over from Krunal provided LSG, who had been badly damaged by the GT openers, with rare moments of relief. Saha hit three fours off Kyle Mayers in the ninth over as he continued to take advantage of the LSG bowlers’ short deliveries. Bishnoi’s magnificent lofted shot over extra cover enabled Gill to collect his second six as GT reached 100 runs in just 49 deliveries. The highest opening stand for the Titans was also produced by a further six in the same over. Avesh was able to break up the partnership by getting Saha caught in the deep, despite Gill reaching a 29-ball fifty. The respite, though, was just temporary, as Hardik Pandya and Gill continued to pound sixes to push GT above 170 before the 15th over was finished.
Miller drives the conclusion
LSG performed just marginally better towards the end, going at 10.2 in the final five overs, after going at 13.0 an over during the powerplay and 10.88 in the middle overs (7–15). Mohsin managed to dismiss Hardik Pandya despite giving up 42 runs in his three overs. However, Gill and David Miller (21* off 12) continued to hit the boundaries, helping GT reach their greatest IPL total. The seven sixes that Gill hit off Thakur gave him the record for the most sixes by a GT player in an innings. However, Miller finished the innings with a four and a single, preventing him from scoring his first IPL hundred.
Mayers and De Kock head the LSG response
Kyle Mayers ignited LSG in the second over by hitting a hat-trick of fours against Hardik after Mohammed Shami’s subdued first over. De Kock, who was making his season debut for LSG, smashed two consecutive fours off Shami before Mayers went long-on for the first six of the inning. He then hit a boundary in the third over, which produced 19 runs, to finish the innings. Before Mayers was taken down by Rashid Khan at a point in the same over and then top-edged the final ball for a four to bring up the 50-run partnership in four overs, De Kock’s brilliant strokeplay had earned him two more fours from Hardik.
Titans restrain LSG
Mayers was saved by an inside edge from a leg-before yell and a GT review in Rashid’s over. A great effort from Rashid, racing and diving to grab a catch, ended Mayers’ stay on 48 and gave Mohit Sharma a wicket in his first over. De Kock exploited the reverse sweep to terrific advantage, scoring a couple of boundaries off Noor. Despite de Kock hitting a six off Hardik, LSG was once again under pressure thanks to frugal overs from Mohit and Rashid and Deepak Hooda’s slow start. De Kock reached a 31-ball 50, but Hooda struggled and eventually was bowled by Shami for a full toss. Noor kept things tight as LSG’s boundaries dried up. LSG went 26 deliveries without a hit to or over the fence before de Kock smacked a six off Mohit. Marcus Stoinis was taken out by the bowler, who then struck back, leaving LSG requiring 98 runs off the final five overs.
LSG come up far short
Rashid was able to bowl de Kock after the South African had struck him for a six, and Noor sent Nicholas Pooran back to further solidify GT’s lead in the match. Ayush Badoni, an Impact sub for LSG, delivered a few powerful strikes before being caught by Mohit, who also claimed the catch of Krunal. Alzarri Joseph performed admirably as GT achieved a commanding victory to significantly lower LSG’s net run rate when he eventually received the ball for the final over.
Next where?
The Titans will take against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on May 12 after a four-day break. Five days will pass between now and May 13’s road match against Sunrisers Hyderabad for the Lucknow Super Giants.