IPL 2023, GT vs LSG: Gujarat a step closer to Playoffs spot after big win over LSG

IPL 2023, Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Wriddhiman Saha-Shubman Gill's 142-run stand, Mohit Sharma's 4-29 and Kyle Mayers-Quinton de Kock's 88-run stand are top performances. GT beat LSG and retain the top spot in points table.

Shubman Gill scored 94 off 52 against LSG; GT beat LSG (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Brief Scores: GT 227-2 (Gill 94*, Saha 81, Avesh 1-34) beat LSG 171-7 (De Kock 70, Mayers 48, Mohit 4-29) by 56 runs

Player of the Match: Shubman Gill – 94* (51)

The 51st Match of IPL 2023 saw two brothers going head-to-head against each other as Gujarat Titans (GT) took on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. This was the first ever instance of two siblings being captains in the same game in IPL.

GT pile up 227/2 to bat LSG out of the game

LSG skipper Krunal Pandya won the toss and elected to bowl first. Alzarri Joseph came in for Joshua Little in GT’s eleven, and Naveen ul Haq was benched for Quinton de Kock by LSG.

The wicket looked like a belter from afar and GT openers, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill belted LSG bowlers like the leather belts of Gujarat. Saha and Gill broke GT’s highest opening partnership of 106 against Mumbai as the duo collected 121 runs for no loss at the end of 10 overs. The highest ever partnership of 142 runs by GT was finally broken by Avesh Khan in the 13th over as Saha was dismissed off a brilliant catch by Prerak Mankad. After 16 overs, GT were 184-2 and looked like they would breach the 250-run mark but they slowed down a bit as Gill curbed his risk shots between 73-94. At the end of 20 overs, GT posted their highest IPL total of 227-2. This was also the highest total a team has put against LSG beating CSK’s 217.

If Gujarat were off to a flier, LSG were off to a rocket launch, as the new opening partners – Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock rocketed the chase with three massive 10+ runs over in the first five overs. The new duo also registered the third highest opening stand for LSG as they accumulated 88 runs for the first wicket chasing 228. However, Mohit Sharma’s introduction brought an end to the partnership and the momentum shifted as GT sneaked back into the game picking three wickets in the next seven overs. The final nail in the coffin was punched when Nicholas Pooran was dismissed and it was just a matter of time till the target looked way off from LSG’s reach as GT won by 56 runs to remain at the top of the points table.

Read More: IPL 2023, RR vs GT: Gujarat register comprehensive 9-wicket win, consolidate top spot with best NRR

Talking Point: LSG bowling exposed

LSG bowling was exposed and an under confident Krunal Pandya’ wasn’t able to manage his troops well as GT openers hammered their bowlers all over the park. For GT, the positives came in the form of Saha’s form and Mohit Sharma’s wicket-taking ability in the middle overs. Quinton De Kock who finally managed to get a game dominated at the top for LSG.

Top three performances from GT vs LSG in IPL 2023

Saha scored 81 off 43 balls; GT beat LSG (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Record breaking opening stand for GT puts them ahead

The only thing that was missing this year for GT was a 100+ opening stand and the table toppers had their opening batters coming back in form right in the business end of the tournament. Wriddhiman Saha who was looking out of sorts for the past 7 innings was back to his usual self, carefully and casually lifting bowlers outside the 30-yard circle while Shubhman Gill was punching the balls as crisply as Gujarat’s Fafda. While Saha was the aggressor in the beginning who took on the bowlers inside the powerplay, Gill took charge against the LSG spinners. The duo hammered LSG bowlers at more than 13 run per over to bridge a 142-run stand for the first wicket, Gujarat’s highest ever opening stand beating their own record of 106 against Mumbai at Brabourne Stadium.

Read More: IPL 2023, Mid-Season Review: Balanced GT aim for back-to-back trophies; CSK, RR, LSG fighting hard

Mohit ‘Breakthrough’ Sharma derails LSG’s batting order with a 4-fer

Mohit Sharma was introduced in the 9th over of the innings with LSG going wicketless and looking on track to chase down this mammoth total. With the very second delivery of his spell, Mohit dismissed Kyle Mayers off a beauty of a slower delivery. Sharma then again came back in the 15th over to send the dangerous Marcus Stoinis back to the pavilion cheaply.

In his last spell of the game, Mohit picked two wickets off consecutive balls dismissing Ayush Badoni and Krunal Pandya to seal the game for Gujarat Titans to return figures of 4-29. His slower ones and cutters threw the batters off guard and LSG firepower were already through the shot even before Sharma’s delivery reached the batters winning the game for GT.

Read More: IPL 2023: Explosive batting trio of Mayers, Stoinis & Pooran powering on the LSG juggernaut

de Kock scored fifty (70 runs) off his first game of IPL 2023 (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

LSG’s openers fire towards a 88-run stand in a marathon run chase

With GT openers pounding 142 runs, LSG’s new duo of Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock topped it up with a 50-ball 88 run stand for the opening wicket. QdK finally got his place in the eleven in place of KL Rahul and was off the mark immediately. The South African scored a quickfire 41-ball 70 while his partner Kyle Mayers put the stage on fire with a 32-ball 48 to make the chase look easy. Till the time the duo were batting, it looked like LSG would climb the mountain of the total with balls to spare till Mohit Sharma got the better of Kyle Mayers.

Points Table Scenario & What's Next

With this win, GT continued to rule the top of the table with 16 points and a 0.951 NRR. LSG remain at the third spot with 11 points from 11 games and a NRR of 0.294.

GT will now travel to Mumbai to play their next game against Mumbai Indians on May 12. LSG will play SRH on May 13 in Hyderabad.

Read More: IPL 2023, GT vs DC: Aman, Ishant help Delhi stun Gujarat at home; Gujarat still at top

IPL 2023 Points Table

IPL 2023 Points Table

Top Twitter Reactions from Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Ahmedabad

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