GT Top Order Fires Again in a Commanding Win

Gujarat Titans (GT) put on a clinical performance to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 39 runs in their recent IPL 2024 clash. Batting first, GT posted a formidable 198/3, thanks to stellar knocks from Shubman Gill (90 off 55) and B Sai Sudharsan (52 off 33). Despite the slow start, the team capitalized in the middle and death overs, with Jos Buttler providing the late fireworks.

Measured Start, Explosive Finish

GT’s top three contributed 183 of the team’s 198 runs. The Titans began cautiously on a pitch that offered variable bounce. Their powerplay score of 45/0 was the second-slowest this season without losing a wicket. However, they more than made up for it later. Gill and Sudharsan stitched a 114-run opening stand, setting the foundation for a big total.

Gill and Sudharsan Rotate and Accelerate

After a quiet beginning, Shubman Gill shifted gears post powerplay, taking on the deep fielders. He began with just 6 runs off 11 balls but picked up the pace with a flurry of boundaries, especially targeting Moeen Ali and the KKR spinners. Sudharsan, on the other hand, attacked Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana and was the first to reach his half-century.

Buttler’s Finishing Touch and Missed Century for Gill

Once Sudharsan fell to Andre Russell, Jos Buttler took charge with a blistering 41 off 23 balls, including three consecutive fours. Gill continued to punish the KKR spinners before falling on 90, just short of a deserved century. GT managed to score 85 runs in the last eight overs without needing to take excessive risks.

GT Bowling Strategy Stifles KKR Chase

In reply, KKR never really got going. Mohammed Siraj struck early, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a near-unplayable delivery. While Ajinkya Rahane looked promising with a 50 off 36 balls, the rest of the KKR lineup faltered. Narine and Iyer failed to rotate strike effectively, while Russell couldn’t provide the much-needed late charge.

Rashid, Sai Kishore and Prasidh Close the Game

GT’s spinners bowled with great discipline. Washington Sundar’s clever wide ball dismissed Rahane just after his fifty. Rashid Khan returned to form with a crucial wicket of Russell, while Sai Kishore’s tight spell ensured no late fireworks. Prasidh Krishna continued his purple cap form, picking 2 wickets for 25 runs and taking his season tally to 16.

Gujarat Titans at the Top

With this victory, Gujarat Titans not only avenged their earlier loss while batting first but also consolidated their top position in the IPL 2024 points table. Their consistent top-order performances and disciplined bowling continue to be the hallmark of their success this season.

Match Summary:
Gujarat Titans: 198/3 (Gill 90, Sudharsan 52, Buttler 41*)
Kolkata Knight Riders: 159/8 (Rahane 50, Prasidh 2-25, Rashid 2-25)
Result: Gujarat Titans won by 39 runs

Gujarat Titans  (20 ovs maximum)

Batting		R	B	M	4s	6s	SR
Sai Sudharsan	c †Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Russell	52	36	55	6	1	144.44
Shubman Gill (c)	c Singh b Arora	90	55	80	10	3	163.63
Jos Buttler †	not out	41	23	38	8	0	178.26
Rahul Tewatia	c Ramandeep Singh b Harshit Rana	0	2	4	0	0	0.00
M Shahrukh Khan	not out	11	5	8	0	1	220.00
Extras	(nb 1, w 3)	4
Total	20 Ov (RR: 9.90)	198/3

Did not bat: Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma

Fall of wickets: 1-114 (Sai Sudharsan, 12.2 ov), 2-172 (Shubman Gill, 17.5 ov), 3-177 (Rahul Tewatia, 18.3 ov) • DRS

Bowling	O	M	R	W	ECON	0s	4s	6s	WD	NB
Vaibhav Arora	4	0	44	1	11.00	7	5	2	1	0
Moeen Ali	3	0	27	0	9.00	6	3	1	0	0
Harshit Rana	4	0	45	1	11.25	5	6	1	2	0
Varun Chakravarthy	4	0	33	0	8.25	7	5	0	0	0
Sunil Narine	4	0	36	0	9.00	4	2	1	0	1
Andre Russell	1	0	13	1	13.00	2	3	0	0	0

Kolkata Knight Riders  (T: 199 runs from 20 ovs)

Batting		R	B	M	4s	6s	SR
Rahmanullah Gurbaz †	lbw b Mohammed Siraj	1	4	4	0	0	25.00
Sunil Narine	c Tewatia b Rashid Khan	17	13	31	2	1	130.76
Ajinkya Rahane (c)	st †Buttler b Washington Sundar	50	36	58	5	1	138.88
Venkatesh Iyer	c Washington Sundar b Sai Kishore	14	19	26	0	0	73.68
Rinku Singh	c Shubman Gill b Sharma	17	14	43	1	1	121.42
Andre Russell	st †Buttler b Rashid Khan	21	15	18	3	1	140.00
Ramandeep Singh	c & b Prasidh Krishna	1	2	2	0	0	50.00
Moeen Ali	c Shahrukh Khan b Prasidh Krishna	0	2	1	0	0	0.00
Angkrish Raghuvanshi	not out	27	13	18	3	1	207.69
Harshit Rana	not out	1	2	4	0	0	50.00
Extras	(lb 4, w 6)	10
Total	20 Ov (RR: 7.95)	159/8
Did not bat: Varun Chakravarthy
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 0.5 ov), 2-43 (Sunil Narine, 5.3 ov), 3-84 (Venkatesh Iyer, 11.3 ov), 4-91 (Ajinkya Rahane, 12.3 ov), 5-118 (Andre Russell, 15.5 ov), 6-119 (Ramandeep Singh, 16.1 ov), 7-119 (Moeen Ali, 16.3 ov), 8-151 (Rinku Singh, 19.1 ov) • DRS

Bowling	O	M	R	W	ECON	0s	4s	6s	WD	NB
Mohammed Siraj	4	0	32	1	8.00	13	4	1	1	0
Ishant Sharma	2	0	18	1	9.00	5	2	1	0	0
Prasidh Krishna	4	0	25	2	6.25	12	4	0	1	0
Rashid Khan	4	0	25	2	6.25	11	2	1	0	0
Washington Sundar	3	0	36	1	12.00	2	2	2	1	0
Sai Kishore	3	0	19	1	6.33	4	0	0	2	0

Category: IPL 2024, Cricket News, Sports Updates
Tags: Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, IPL 2024, GT vs KKR, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Andre Russell