Defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) registered their second win of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Hardik Pandya-led side beat hosts Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan's three-fers followed by B Sai Sudharsan's half-century and David Miller's cameo helped GT finish off the run chase with 11 balls to spare.
Titans' run chase of 163 got off to an ideal start. Wriddhiman Saha smacked impact player Khaleel Ahmed for two fours and one six. In the third over, Anrich Nortje angled one into the stumps that beat Saha's bat, hit the pads and crashed into stumps. Saha scored 14 runs from just seven balls. In his next over, Nortje flattened Shubman Gill's off stump. Gill scored 14 runs from 13 balls. Nortje took a beating in the same over after bowling a no ball. Sai Sudharsan hit a six off the free hit delivery. Skipper Hardik Pandya got off the mark with a boundary. Ahmed made up for the expensive first over. The left-arm pacer clocked at 145.4 kmph and forced an outside edge off Pandya's bat and ended up in Abhishek Porel's gloves.
In the middle overs, Sudharsan and Vijay Shankar kept the required run rate in check. They crossed the 100-run mark in the 12th over. Mitchell Marsh broke the partnership in the 14th over. Shankar played one across and got out lbw. He scored 29 runs from 23 balls including three fours. In the 16th over, David Miller took on Mukesh and hit him for a six over mid-wicket. He followed it up with a four to release the pressure. In the 17th over, Sudharsan got to his half-century with an uppercut for a four off Norjte. He finished the over with a maximum over fine leg. In the penultimate over, Miller finished the run chase. Sudharsan remained unbeaten for 62 off 48 balls including four fours and two sixes. Miller contributed with a 15-ball 29 including two fours and as many sixes.
Earlier Pandya won the toss and opted to field first. Mohammed Shami troubled Warner from the start. In his second over, Shami bowled short of length. Shaw went for the big shot but got caught by Alzarri Joseph at mid-on. In his next over, Shami got the big wicket of Marsh who chopped it on to his stumps. After powerplay overs, DC had 52 runs on the board. Joseph came back into the attack and got the wicket of Warner. The skipper scored 37 runs from 32 balls including seven fours. He got Rilee Rossouw out first ball as Rahul Tewatia took a stunner at backward point.
On-debut Porel hit the first six of his IPL career of Joseph. He took on Yash Dayal as well and hit him for a six over square leg. Rashid Khan ended Porel's cameo as he got him bowled. He scored 20 runs from 11 balls. Axar Patel gave the run rate a much-needed boost. Sarfaraz Khan who was struggling to score even at run-a-ball became Rashid's second victim of the night. He scored 30 runs from 34 balls including two fours. In the penultimate over, Aman Hakim Khan hit Rashid for a six but got out next ball. In the final over, Patel hit Shami for a six. He got off the fourth ball of the over. He scored 36 runs from 22 balls including two fours and three sixes. Nortje then finished the innings with a four to help DC post a fighting total of 162/8 on the board.
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