IPL 2023: Social media in awe of Vijay Shankar as GT avenges Ahmedabad loss to KKR by 7 wickets
IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans conquered Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets on Saturday in Kolkata, avenging the heart-breaking defeat in Ahmedabad. Vijay Shankar's late brisk made the fans go crazy.
It was a sweet win for defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) by seven wickets against former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 39 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. The visitors avenged the heart-breaking defeat against the hosts in the last leg in Ahmedabad, where Rinku Singh had played a blinder in the final over. At the same time, here, Vijay Shankar's late brisk raised everyone's eyebrows.
A quickfire fifty against KKR at Narendra Modi cricket stadium ✅
A quickfire fifty against KKR at Eden Gardens✅
Vijay Shankar just loves to bat against Nitish Rana and his men 💥 pic.twitter.com/81YkkwYesy
Winning the coin toss, GT opted to bowl while the meeting was off to a delayed start due to rain. KKR began on a swift but jittery note, losing a couple for 47 by the fifth over of the PowerPlay (PP). However, opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (81) and Venkatesh Iyer (11) added 37 for the third wicket before the latter was trapped leg-before by pacer Joshua Little in the 11th.
Latest Videos
CATCH ALL IPL 2023 UPDATES HERE
VIJAY SHANKAR, THE HERO OF GUJARAT.
TOP OF THE POINTS TABLE - TAKE A BOW, GT. pic.twitter.com/vFAkXshlq0
While Kolkata was down to 88/4 by the same over, Gurbaz and Rinku Singh (19) took charge and contributed 47 for the fifth, while the former also brought up his second IPL half-century before falling to chinaman Noor Ahmad in the 16th. Thereon, KKR struggled to get a decent stand going and finished on an above-par score of 179/7.
What a crazy innings by Vijay Shankar!
51 unbeaten in just 24 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes. A ruthless batting effort by Shankar in the chase, marvelous hitting! Take a bow, Shankar. pic.twitter.com/hzPoGPy0Ex
For Gujarat, veteran seamer Mohammed Shami captured three, whereas Ahmad was economical with two scalps. Before the Titans began their chase, they brought young opener Shubman Gill, while the Knight Riders brought in leg-spinner Suyash Sharma. The visitors started positively before losing their opening wicket in Wriddhiman Saha (10) in the fifth over of the PP with 41 on the board.
ALSO READ: IPL 2023, CSK vs PBKS - Chennai starts favourite against Punjab in battle of 'Kings'
Vijay Shankar in IPL 2023:
27(21).
29(23).
63*(24).
10(12).
19(16).
51*(24).
6 innings, 199 runs, 49.75 average, 165.83 strike rate, 2 fifties - Brilliant, Vijay Shankar! pic.twitter.com/idmaOZ615w
However, GT barely panicked as Gill (49) and skipper Hardik Pandya (26) added 50 for the second wicket before pacer Harshit Rana dismissed the latter in the 11th. At the same time, at 93 in the following over, Gill fell a run short of his 18th IPL half-century to mystery spinner Sunil Narine.
💪🏏 VICTORY FOR GT! Thanks to Vijay Shankar's fifty, backed by the knocks of David Miller & Shubman Gill, GT complete a fine run chase to secure two more points in KKR's backyard.
🔝 With this victory, Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans are the table-toppers in the points table!… pic.twitter.com/V97qZE45FA
Yet, Shankar (51*) and David Miller (32*) took control of the remainder of the chase thereon, with the former going berserk in the closing stages of the hunt and handing Gujarat a seven-wicket triumph, with 13 balls to spare. KKR, Rana, pacer Andre Russell and Narine grabbed one each for the hosts, whereas the latter was economical.
All you need is a management who trusts you, gives you a proper role clarity with ofcourse your own self-belief to taste such success.
Vijay Shankar has rediscovered himself, and so far he's been very good as a finisher for Gujarat Titans. pic.twitter.com/HCrwWvVfAK
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.