With 78 required off 42 balls, middle-order batsman Shankar (51 not out in 24 balls) holds nerves in death overs to put on an unbeaten 87-run stand with David Miller (32 not out from 18 balls) as GT beat hosts KKR with 13 balls in hand to take top spot
GT’s Vijay Shankar hits a six against KKR at Eden Gardens on Saturday
David Miller and Vijay Shankar completed the unfinished job as the Gujarat Titans went past Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 179-7 with seven wickets and 13 balls to spare at the Eden Gardens here on Saturday. Shankar remained unbeaten on 24-ball 51 that had five sixes and a couple of boundaries while the South African was not out on 32.
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The victory took the Titans to the top of the table, while KKR were consigned to their sixth loss and a near-impossible task in IPL-16.
Shubman Gill during his 49 on Saturday. Pics/PTI, AFP
The silky smooth Shubman Gill had earlier made a 35-ball 49, and added 50 off 39 balls for the second wicket with skipper Hardik Pandya, but the two fell in quick succession to give KKR a window of opportunity. Pandya was trapped in front while Gill, nicely anchoring the chase, stepped out to Sunil Narine in the very next over to be caught at wide long-on.
Shankar and Miller wrapped it up with an unfinished partnership of 87 off 39.
Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a 39-ball 81 to help KKR to a flying start, but it was all squandered in a middle-order meltdown. Russell’s 19-ball cameo for 34 ensured a fighting total. Gurbaz, back in the playing XI after the in-form Jason Roy had to sit out with back spasm, grabbed the opportunity to hit seven sixes and five boundaries. Russell, caught on the backward point rope for 34 of the final ball of the innings, had three sixes and a couple of fours.
KKR openers Narayan Jagadeesan and then Gurbaz made sure they made the most of the early fielding restrictions as they went after Mohammed Shami and Pandya. Shami removed Jagadeesan and ‘pinch hitter’ Shardul Thakur, but the power play still produced 61. KKR failed to build on that promising platform as in-form batsmen Venkatesh Iyer and skipper Nitish Rana left in the same over to poor shot selection.
Brief scores
KKR 179-7 in 20 overs (R Gurbaz 81, A Russell 34; M Shami 3-33, N Ahmad 2-21, J Little 2-25) lost to GT 180-3 in 17.5 overs (V Shankar 51*, S Gill 49, D Miller 32*) by 7 wickets
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