The Gujarat Titans dominated the Mumbai Indians on Friday night, winning the second Qualifier by 62 runs and advancing to the final of the 2023 Indian Premier League. The Hardik Pandya-led side scored 233/3 in 20 overs before bowling MI out for 171 in 18.2 overs, with Mohit Sharma taking a five-wicket haul. The right-arm pacer reached the milestone in 2.2 overs, conceding only 10 runs.
The night’s star, however, was Titans’ young opener Shubman Gill, who delivered a power-hitting masterclass with a swashbuckling 129 off just 60 deliveries. Gill hit 10 sixes and seven fours on his way to his third century of the season, propelling the Titans to a big total after Rohit Sharma chose to bowl in Ahmedabad.
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Gill scored his half-century in 32 balls, but his next fifty runs came in only 17 balls; he also had the highest score by a batter in the tournament’s playoffs history. Fans and former cricketers alike praised the opener’s performance, and Rohit Sharma praised the Indian youngster for his match-winning knock. However, while praising Shubman, Rohit made an indirect reference to the World Test Championship final between India and Australia.
“All the bowling teams have been challenged this season, looking at what happened in the previous game, we had a great performance. Got to give credit to Shubman, he is in great form and I hope he continues that,” Rohit Sharma said, breaking into a chuckle.