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Gujarat Titans became the first team to enter the playoffs of the IPL 2023 after a comprehensive 34-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday. The loss meant SRH bowed out of contention from a top-four finish.
Opener Shubman Gill's sparkling knock of 101 (58b, 13x4, 1x6) and his 147-run partnership with Sai Sudharsan (47 runs, 36b, 6x4, 1x6) for the second wicket helped Titans put up a stiff 188/9. In reply, SRH never looked in contention and were reduced to 59/7 in 9 overs before they pulled things back slightly and finished at 154/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Paceman Mohammed Shami ran through the SRH top order, taking 4/21 while medium-pacer Mohit Sharma finished with 4/28 in a brilliant bowling display. The win took Titans to 18 points from 13 games and they are now assured of a top-two finish while SRH could manage 8 points from 12 games. Delhi Capitals too have bowed out of the tournament. Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel spoke about Gill's performance. "What I enjoyed most was seeing him use his technique. All the shots that we saw, had him let the ball come to him. He didn't try and whack it and it allowed him to successfully find the gaps. When you play on a bouncy pitch, you have to let the ball come to you. That's how you control the ball and hit where it needs to go. When he was set, he was able to get a century. He has hit centuries in T20, ODI, and Test cricket at this ground," Patel said on JioCinema. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, meanwhile, became only the second bowler this season after Mark Wood to take a five-wicket haul, proving to be a small bright spot in an otherwise disappointing evening for SRH. Former India pacer RP Singh praised Bhuvi's experience and skill. "We talk about the importance of length and how it can enable a five-wicket haul. If you can bowl a gutter-length ball, you should take a wicket there... Taking five wickets is very special for any bowler at this stage in the competition. This has only happened twice this season. The skill of bowling and what makes you special is your experience. You can read a batter with your experience, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done so in this match," he said. Former Australia pacer Brett Lee praised the Titans' commitment. "I think they have been really well led by Hardik Pandya. Didn't get the chance to bowl, I am hearing workload reason as the reason why he's not bowling, which is disappointing. But the fact they keep winning without one of their strike bowlers, it's good for them. Every player is stepping up and doing their own thing and contributing to the team's success, which is great for them." (ANI)
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