GT vs DC, IPL 2022: Shubman Gill, Lokie Ferguson shine as Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals
Gujarat Titan team celebrating win against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022
Riding on career-best score of Shubman Gill followed by a four-wicket haul of Lokie Ferguson, Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs to win their second game of the season here at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Saturday. With this win GT are now ranked third in the points table.
Gujarat had a tough job in hand as they were to defend 171 runs. GT skipper Hardik Pandya took the work in his hand as he bowled the second over of the innings and took the wicket of Tim Seifert on the very first ball. After the first wicket, Mandeep Singh joined Prithvi Shaw in the middle. The duo stitched a small partnership before Prithvi was sent back by Lokie for 10.
With two wickets down inside the powerplay, DC wanted a partnership. However, Mandeep was dismissed in the same over by Lokie. The game was drifting away from Delhi but the partnership between captain Rishabh Pant and last game's hero Lalit Yadav steadied DC's ship. The pair took Delhi's total near 100. Unfortunately, Yadav got run out in the 12th over of the match, thanks to an acrobatic effort by Abhinav Manohar.
Rishabh was then joined by Rovman Powell in the middle. A small partnership was building and thus GT skipper brought back his lead pacer Lokie, who then removed dangerous-looking Pant on 43. DC were keeping their hopes high as the required rate was within reach. However, wickets kept tumbling at one end while Powell stood at the non-striker's end. In the end, Mohammad Shami removed Powell on 20 to end DC's chase.
Earilier, Shubman Gill struck an imperious 84 off just 46 balls to power Gujarat Titans to 171 for six. Gill, who struck six boundaries and four sixes during his stunning innings, and captain Hardik Pandya (31) revived the Titans innings with a 65-run partnership for the third wicket as they lost Matthew Wade (1) and Vijay Shankar (13) cheaply after being asked to bat.
Wade was out in the third ball of the innings off Mustafizur Rahman (3/23) while Kuldeep Yadav (1/32) bamboozled Shankar, who went for a slog sweep only to see his stumps cart-wheeling. Gill was in imperious form during his knock as he made amends of his cheap dismissal -- zero runs -- in the previous match. He hoisted Axar Patel for a six early on and then smashed the same bowler for another maximum in the 16th over. His best shot was the straight six off Kuldeep in the 15th over. He was finally out in the 18th over off Khaleel Ahmed (2/34) with Axar Patel taking an easy catch at deep mid-wicket.
Gill and Hardik denied the DC bowlers any success for 7.5 overs, while adding 65 runs during that crucial period after the Titans were 44 for two in the seventh over. Hardik took time to settle down but just when he getting into his grooves, he got out, hitting straight to Powell at long-on off the bowling of Ahmed. The Titans captain struck four boundaries during his 27-ball knock. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia contributed unbeaten 20 and 14 respectively.
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