IPL 2024: Rahul Tewatia and Sai Kishore lead Gujarat Titans to victory over Punjab Kings
In a thrilling IPL 2024 encounter, Gujarat Titans emerged victorious against Punjab Kings as Rahul Tewatia's explosive batting and R Sai Kishore's spin brilliance guided them to a crucial win.
FollowIn a gripping encounter at Mullanpur, R Sai Kishore's spin mastery combined with Rahul Tewatia's explosive cameo propelled Gujarat Titans to a crucial three-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024 fixture. Sai Kishore's stellar performance, supported by Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, dismantled Punjab Kings, restricting them to a below-par total of 142. Despite Liam Livingstone's valiant efforts, Punjab Kings struggled to counter the spin trio's guile. With a modest target of 143, Gujarat Titans chased down the required runs in 19.1 overs, sealing their fourth win in eight matches. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan provided valuable contributions for Punjab Kings, but Tewatia's explosive innings ensured Gujarat's triumph. This defeat marked Punjab Kings' sixth loss in eight matches, highlighting their batting woes and vulnerability against spin bowling.
In their batting innings, Punjab Kings, after choosing to bat first, faltered to post a total of 142 runs, all out in exactly 20 overs. Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh provided a promising start, notching up 52 runs for the opening partnership.
However, after losing both openers, Punjab Kings faced a collapse, finding themselves struggling at 99/7 in the 16th over. Harpreet Singh Bhatia and Harpreet Brar attempted to stabilize the innings, with Brar contributing a quickfire 29 off 12 balls towards the end, pushing the hosts past the 140-run mark. Bhatia, however, struggled to find his rhythm, managing 14 runs off 19 deliveries.
Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore led the bowling attack for Gujarat Titans, claiming four crucial wickets. Mohit Sharma and Noor Ahmad supported with two wickets each, while Rashid Khan added one to the tally.
Chasing 142, Gujarat Titans faced an early setback with the dismissal of Wriddhiman Saha for 13 runs. However, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with a solid partnership, adding over 40 runs for the second wicket. Gill's departure for 35, courtesy of Livingstone, provided a glimmer of hope for Punjab Kings, who struck again to remove Miller for just 4 runs.
Subsequent quick dismissals of Sai Sudharsan and Azmatullah Omarzai put Gujarat Titans under pressure. Nonetheless, Rahul Tewatia's explosive unbeaten knock of 36 off 18 balls ensured victory for GT. Despite losing a couple of wickets towards the end, Gujarat Titans secured the win with three wickets and five balls to spare.
Harshal Patel stood out for Punjab Kings with three wickets, while Liam Livingstone's impressive spell fetched him two wickets for 19 runs in four overs. Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran contributed with one wicket each for the hosts.
