IPL 2022, CSK vs GT, Top Performances: Shami 2-19, Saha 67* ensure Top Two finish for Gujarat

IPL 2022, CSK vs GT, Top Performances: Mohammed Shami's 2-19, Wriddhiman Saha's 67* and Matheesha Pathirana's 2-24 are top three performances. GT move to top in points table.

Saha's 67 runs helps GT beat CSK and top 2 finish in IPL 2022 (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 137/3 (Saha 67*, Pathirana 2-24) beat Chennai Super Kings 133/5 (Gaikwad 53, Jagadeesan 39*, Shami 2-19) by seven wickets

Player of the Match: Wriddhiman Saha (67* in 57 balls & 2 catches)

Inconsistent Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have already been eliminated out of the tournament, locked horns with dominant Gujarat Titans (GT), who have qualified for their maiden playoffs, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.

In their previous outing, David Miller and Rashid Khan combined to snatched victory from the jaws of Chennai in an epic run chase.

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first given the heat factor. While Gujarat went in with an unchanged side for the fixture, CSK looking at the future, made four changes. They included Narayan Jagadeesan and Mitchell Santner, besides handing debut cap to young leg spinner Prashant Solanki and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana.

Gujarat Titans ensure Top Two finish

Chennai struggled badly in the beginning and end stages of their innings. They had just 15/1 on the board after four overs, losing opener Devon Conway. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Moeen Ali did put up a decent 57-run stand for the second wicket but the hard lengths bowled by Gujarat bowlers was difficult to negotiate. Gaikwad notched up his third IPL 2022 fifty in 44 balls, before being dismissed. CSK didn’t end well and managed just 24 runs in the last five overs without a single boundary; they eventually reached a meagre 133/5 in their 20 overs.

Chasing a target of 134, Gujarat openers got off to a brisky start with 53-0 in the powerplay, before losing a few wickets in the middle. At 96/2 in 12 overs, they were well-poised in the chase with the required run rate being under 6. Wriddhiman Saha notched up his third IPL 2022 fifty as Titans chased the total comfortably with seven wickets in hand.

It meant that CSK for the first time lost nine games in an IPL season.

Let’s take a look at the top performances of the game between CSK and GT, IPL 2022.

Shami takes 2-19 against CSK and helps GT beat CSK (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Shami destroyed Chennai at the top and in the end

Mohammed Shami has proven to be an excellent performer for Gujarat Titans in their journey to become the first team to qualify for playoffs in IPL 2022. Shami had 16 wickets to his name in 12 games prior to this one, and it must be noted here that he has picked big wickets in the powerplay and at the death.

It wasn’t different on Sunday when he drew first blood in his second over with a beautiful delivery to dismiss the in-form Devon Conway for a personal score of 5; the ball was pitched up from round the wicket and it just held its line to take the faint edge of Conway’s bat before finishing in the hands of wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. It was Shami’s 11th wicket in the powerplay this season.

Coming for the last over, Shami got rid of ‘big fish’ MS Dhoni with a short ball that the opponent captain hit straight into the hands of short mid on fielder. This was the first time Shami dismissed the former India captain.

With figures of 2-19 in his four overs, Shami now has 16 wickets in eight games at Wankhede Stadium.

Read More: IPL 2022, CSK vs MI, Top Performances: Tilak 34*, Sams 3-16 nullify CSK's unlikely Playoffs bid

Saha gets player of the match against CSK for unbeaten 67 runs (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Splendid fifty from Saha booked Titan’s Qualifier 1 berth

Wriddhiman Saha, throughout the season, has given his side several quickfire starts in the powerplay and has more than made up for the absence of Jason Roy at the top.

Chasing a mediocre score of just 134, Saha expressed himself right from the start with three boundaries in the very first over off Mukesh Choudhary. After few more boundaries, Saha clubbed a huge six off Simarjeet Singh. With seven boundaries and one six, Saha cracked 37 runs in just 23 balls in the powerplay, as Titans reached 53/0.

In IPL 2022, the Bengal batter has scored 191 runs in the powerplay at an average of 95.50 and strike rate of 138.40.

Saha, who had 186 runs in 9 innings against CSK before Sunday’s game, went on to celebrate his third fifty of the season in 42 balls. Guiding the ball over third man for a four, Saha, with his 67*, booked Gujarat’s place in Qualifier 1, to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 24.

Read More: IPL 2022, GT vs LSG, Top Performances: Shubman's well-measured 63* takes GT into playoffs

Matheesha Pathirana gets first ball wicket on his IPL debut (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Debutant Matheesha Pathirana fired up at the big stage

Matheesha Pathirana made his name after his great returns in the recently concluded ICC U-19 World Cup, especially with his action that is a close simulation of the greatest T20 bowler, Lasith Malinga.

Pathirana found a great chance to display his skill when CSK signed him in place of injured Adam Milne and playing his maiden IPL game, the 19-year-old Sri Lankan pacer reaped a reward with his very first ball dismissing Shubman Gill on a personal score of 18.

With the first ball of his second over too, he deceived opponent captain Hardik Pandya with a slower ball that flew to the mid-off fielder off an edge.

Pathirana, who became the first uncapped Sri Lankan bowler to play IPL, returned with 2-24 in his 3.1 overs and showed enough reasons as to why CSK should retain the youngster for the next season.

Read More: IPL 2022, Tale of Friends turning Foes: From Warner’s 92* against SRH to Kuldeep’s 8 KKR scalps

Qualification Scenarios

CSK have been already eliminated from IPL 2022, while Gujarat, with Sunday’s win have confirmed their place in the first qualifier on May 24 which will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

TATA IPL 2022 Points Table: GT beat CSK and move to top of the points table

What’s to come

Punjab Kings (PBKS) will meet Delhi Capitals (DC) at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on May 16. Given the dynamic situation of the points table, this game will have a huge bearing on the same as PBKS are placed at the 7th slot while DC are currently ranked 5th with both teams having an equal 12 points with only net run rate separating them.

Read More: IPL 2022, CSK vs DC, Top Performances: Conway's explosive 87, Moeen 3-13 help CSK to 4th win