Sai Sudharsan shines with 41-ball 63, while Mohd Siraj and Prasidh Krishna claim two apiece as GT beat MI by 36 runs to seal their first victory of IPL-18 in Ahmedabad
GT’s Sai Sudharsan during his 63 against MI on Saturday. Pics/AFP
Gujarat Titans beat Mumbai Indians by 36 runs to register their first win of IPL-18 here on Saturday.
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Batting first, GT posted 196-8 in their allotted 20 overs thanks to 41-ball 63 by opener Sai Sudharsan. In reply, MI fell short by 36 runs after managing just 160-6 in 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored for MI with a 28-ball 48. Mohammed Siraj (2-34) and Prasidh Krishna (2-18) claimed two wickets each for the hosts.
Earlier, a Hardik Pandya-inspired MI fought back brilliantly in the backend to restrict GT below 200.
MI’s Suryakumar Yadav in full flow against GT on Saturday
Sudharsan, the Tamil Nadu southpaw, played with supple wrists and exquisite placement in his 41-ball 63 (4x4, 2x6).
Just as GT looked set for a 200-plus total, Pandya checked the momentum post Powerplay, finishing with an impressive 2-29, his impact extending beyond the wickets as he also ran out Rahul Tewatia (9).
Sai’s dismissal in the 18th over, trapped lbw by Trent Boult’s searing yorker, triggered a mini-collapse as GT lost three wickets in three balls across two overs.
The big-hitting Sherfane Rutherford (18; 11b, 2x6) fell in the penultimate over, and MI ensured the total remained within reach.
On a black-soil Motera pitch with variable bounce, 190 appears par for the course.
Sudharsan started his innings with two gorgeous boundaries off Boult in the second over.
He later took on Mujeeb Ur Rahman, welcoming the spinner with a drag-down boundary before launching him for a six straight over the bowler’s head.
Adjusting smartly to wickets falling at the other end, Sudharsan curbed his boundary shots but kept the run rate steady at nine per over.
He brought up his eighth IPL fifty off 33 balls, highlighted by a superb 84-metre six over deep mid-wicket.
Skipper Shubman Gill (38 off 27b; 4x4, 1x6) also looked fluent, playing mostly in front of the wicket.
The openers in a 78-run alliance capitalised on the new ball, with spin introduced in the fifth over.
Sudharsan stepped up against Mujeeb, while Gill punished the Afghan off-spinner for straying on the leg side, smashing him through fine leg.
The over yielded 15 runs, and GT surged to 46-0 after five overs.
Brief scores
GT 196-8 in 20 overs (S Sudharsan 63, J Buttler 39, S Gill 38; H Pandya 2-29) beat MI 160-6 in 20 overs (S Yadav 48, T Varma 39; P Krishna 2-18, M Siraj 2-34) by 36 runs
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