Gujarat Titans defeated laggards Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets in their Indian Premier League clash on Friday in Ahmedabad, thanks to an elegant 86 from captain Shubman Gill and a probing new-ball spell from Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj.
Gill led the Titans to their third victory of the year while exercising total control. This came after the KKR top order was destroyed by the speed combination of Rabada (3/29) and Siraj (2/23), who took advantage of movement with the new ball to bowl them out for 180.
Cameron Green’s valiant 79 off 55 balls, his first noteworthy contribution with the bat this season, was a major factor in KKR’s total. In the current edition, the former champions are still without a victory.
The match’s story was told by the two powerplays. Gill drove GT to a dominant 71 for 1, taking early control of the chase while KKR limped to 37/3.
Gill set the tone early on while chasing a below-par total, hitting three boundaries in the opening three overs, including a perfect straight drive and a six. Then, with composure, he anchored the innings, perfectly timing his stroke. He hit eight fours and four sixes over his innings.
Although KKR was able to take a few wickets, they were never able to stop the run flow or exert consistent pressure.
Jos Buttler made sure there was no let-up after Sai Sudharsan left by announcing his entrance with a boundary off his first delivery. He then quickly followed it up with a six and another four.
Earlier, Gujarat Titans bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for 180 despite Cameron Green’s timely 79. KKR were rocked early, losing three wickets in the opening four overs.
Ashok Sharma (2/45) and Prasidh Krishna (1/32) offered capable support as the speed combo of Kagiso Rabada (3/29) and Mohammed Siraj (2/23) tore through the top order, extracting movement with the new ball.
After weathering the early storm, the Australian all-rounder broke loose in the middle overs, hitting four sixes and seven fours in his 55-ball stay. He put up a 55-run partnership with Rovman Powell and then a 60-run stand with Anukul Roy.
Green especially enjoyed taking on Rashid Khan, hitting him for five boundaries and four sixes, but the Afghan spinner caught him behind on the last ball of the session.
Green was also fortunate. After surviving an early LBW protest and witnessing an outside edge soar to the boundary, Washington Sundar dropped him off the very next ball on 62.
But as no other KKR batter could stay at the crease for very long, he waged a lone battle. As the innings came to a finish, Green was starved of strike and watched wickets fall at the non-striker’s end, adding to KKR’s problems.
In the powerplay itself, Siraj and Rabada had established the tone for the game. Siraj dismissed Ajinkya Rahane for a golden duck in the first over, making him the first to fall.
Then Rabada attacked with the ball, creating a beautiful outswinger that prompted a hesitant poke from youthful Angkrish Raghuvanshi, only to find the edge through to the wicketkeeper.
Tim Seifert, who was playing in his debut game of the season, struck two fours and a six while appearing confident at the crease. His stay was short-lived, though, as Rabada tricked him with a short-of-a-length delivery that the Kiwi smacked directly to his fellow countryman Glenn Phillips at point.
Powell and Green got to work quickly, with the Jamaican hitting a spectacular six off Prasidh Krishna after sending the ball flying over cow corner. Powell then delivered a string of powerful hits, including a huge six and a clean boundary against Ashok Sharma.
But the pacer had the last laugh, tricking Powell with a slower ball that created a thick top edge. Siraj broke the 55-run partnership with a well-timed catch at long-on.
