In a warm afternoon clash in Ahmedabad, SRH skipper Pat Cummins elected to bat after winning the toss. Despite their recent record-breaking performance, SRH had a more conservative start compared to their previous game. Travis Head (19 off 14) showed aggression, while Mayank Agarwal (16 off 17) was cautious before being dismissed in the fifth over. Abhishek Sharma (29 off 20) welcomed Rashid Khan with two sixes but was later dismissed. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals despite promising starts, with Abdul Samad (29 off 14) and Shahbaz Ahmed’s (22 off 20) partnership being the highest at 45 runs. However, no SRH batsman crossed 30, with Abhishek and Samad top-scoring at 29 each. Mohit Sharma’s three wickets for GT played a crucial role in restricting SRH to 162.
GT chased down the target of 163 with a strong start from Wriddhiman Saha (25 off 13) in the powerplay. Saha’s aggressive shots were a highlight, but he was dismissed by Shahbaz. Sai Sudharsan (45 off 36) and Shubman Gill (36 off 28) built a steady partnership, with Gill accelerating after Saha’s departure. David Miller (44 off 27) joined Sudharsan to manage the chase cautiously. A crucial 24-run over against Mayank Markande, including big hits from Miller and Sudharsan, tilted the game in GT’s favor. Despite Sudharsan’s dismissal for 45 off 36 deliveries, the required rate was manageable. Vijay Shankar (14 off 11) and Miller guided GT to victory with composed batting, with Miller finishing unbeaten on 44, sealing the win with a six.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye.
