Gujarat Titans (GT) outclassed Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 to set up the summit clash against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. Five-time champions MI failed to match the intensity on Friday night as Shubman Gill laid the foundation of a massive win for Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. It seemed like Mumbai Indians bowlers looked unprepared for the crucial ‘Gill Test’ as the 23-year-old exuded class with his every shot during the 129-run knock. The bowling remained a weak link in the Mumbai Indians’ side as the batters did try to fight back but the target was too big this time for them.
Here are the talking points from Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Qualifier 2:
Shubman Gill – A Generational Talent
IPL 2023 has been the season of Shubman Gill for sure. The 23-year-old has pipped Faf du Plessis to claim the Orange Cap as he scripted several records with his third IPL century of the season on Friday. Even though it was almost an ideal batting surface, Gill played one of the best knocks in IPL playoffs history. The talented batter announced that he is ready to be ranked amongst the best in the business at the moment. He took some time to get settled in the middle during powerplay but just went berserk after completing his half-century. He reached the triple-figure mark in real quick time to better his already outstanding record at Narendra Modi Stadium. A couple of years back, Gill was under the scanners for not hitting too many sixes but now this season nobody can raise doubt about it. He slammed 10 sixes and 7 fours during his 129-run knock in 60 balls.
Another Forgettable Season for Rohit Sharma
It was the fourth season in a row where Rohit Sharma failed to cross the 400-run mark in IPL. The Mumbai Indians skipper scored just 332 runs in 16 matches at an average of 20.75. It was another forgettable outing for Rohit on Friday as he was dismissed for 8 in the all-important clash against Gujarat Titans. The swashbuckling opener has scored just two half-centuries this season and six in the past four. Rohit might need to reinvent his T20 game before people started calling him a liability in Mumbai’s batting order.
Gujarat Titans Bowlers Set Stage on Fire
Gujarat Titans’ bowlers once again lived up to the expectations and proved why they are labelled as the best bowling unit of the tournament. Mohammad Shami was right on the money with the new ball and claimed a couple of wickets – Nehal Wadhera and Rohit Sharma, while Rashid Khan provided the important breakthroughs in the middle overs – Tilak Varma and Tim David. While Mohit Sharma continued to flourish this season and claimed a five-wicket haul to dismantle Mumbai Indians batting line-up while defending the 234-run target.
GT vs MI IPL 2023 Qualifier 2 Highlights
Suryakumar Yadav Fought Hard
The batting maverick once again showed his 360-degree batting prowess and scored a crucial 61-run knock and kept Mumbai Indians alive in the game till he was there in the middle. The 32-year-old played sensibly as the wickets were falling from the other end but he kept manufacturing boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard moving almost at par with the required run rate. He was devasted after missing out on his trademark ‘supla’ shot and was bamboozled by Mohit Sharma. The 32-year-old was in disbelief as he knew he was the only hope for MI in the mammoth chase.
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