GT’s all-round performance guide them to victory over PBKS

Gujarat Titans (GT) clinched a narrow three-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh.

The match, held on Sunday, saw GT chasing a target of 143 runs. Openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha got the team off to a solid start, posting 25 runs before Saha’s dismissal for 13. Sai Sudarshan joined Gill, and together they added 41 runs, pushing the score to 66 before Gill was caught out after making 35 runs from 29 balls.

The middle order wobbled as David Miller and Sudarshan departed in quick succession, with the team struggling at 97/4. The situation worsened with the dismissals of Azmatullah Omarzai and the lower order, leaving GT reeling at 109/6.

However, Rahul Tewatia steadied the ship, though wickets continued to fall around him. In a tense finish, GT reached their target with five balls to spare, ending the innings at 143/7. Harshal Patel was notable for PBKS with a bowling figure of 3/15.

Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, PBKS had a brisk start from openers Prabhsimran and Sam Curran, reaching 50 runs in just over five overs. However, the innings faltered after the powerplay, with key contributions from Jitesh Sharma and a late flurry from Harpreet Brar and Shashank Singh bringing the team to 142 all out. Sai Kishore impressed for GT with four wickets for 33 runs.

This win boosted KKR’s standings, placing them second with 10 points from seven matches, while RCB lingered at the bottom with only two points after eight games.