Gujarat Titans beat Mumbai Indians to reach second consecutive final (Sportspix)
Shubman Gill scored 129 runs to take Gujarat Titans to a big score of 223/3 and in reply Mumbai Indians could only manage 171 runs after Mohit Sharma’s fifty.
Shubman Gill smashed a blistering 60-ball 129 against Mumbai Indians to help Gujarat Titans reach the final of IPL 2023 after a thumping 62-run win over Rohit Sharma’s side.
Chasing Gujarat Titans’ mammoth total of 234, the five-time IPL champions could only muster 171 runs in reply.
Mohit Sharma took five wickets to jolt Mumbai’s batting line-up as Rohit’s side suffered a defeat and crashed out of the playoffs, while GT made it to their second consecutive final and lifted the trophy last season.
In the final, Hardik’s side will be up against the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings on May 28 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Suryakumar Yadav hit 61 off 38 balls, while Tilak Verma scored 43 off 14 balls and Cameron Green added 30 off 20, but it was a no show from the rest of the batting lineup as seven Mumbai Indians batsmen were in double figures. Failed to access data.
Earlier, Rohit had won the toss after a rain delay and predicted to bowl given the weather and his team’s chasing ability, but Mumbai were given a very steep climb to climb.
Gill and Wriddhiman Saha put on a 54-run opening partnership before Saha was dismissed by Piyush Chawla as GT got off to a blazing start. Gill continued his assault on the MI bowlers and he joined hands with Sai Sudarshan who added 43 off 31 balls before retiring.
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Gill was given two huge lives when he was dropped by Tim David on 30, while the GT opener was batting on 37, when Tilak did not dive to take the catch.
As a result, he punished the MI bowlers and brought up a 49-ball century, scoring 129 before David completed a catch to end Gill’s knock.
Pandya then gave his team a brilliant finish by scoring 28 runs in 13 balls.
Ishan Kishan suffered a bizarre injury when he was accidentally caught by his own teammate Chris Jordan and thus did not come to open the innings with Rohit.
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Nehwal Wadhera didn’t last long, neither did Rohit in a disastrous start to Mumbai Indians’ chase. Green and Suryakumar’s partnership appeared to keep Mumbai in the game but once SKY departed, it was all downhill from there for the five-time IPL champions.