IPL 2023: Venktesh and Rinku's brilliance overshadows Rashid's hat-trick in KKR's win vs GT; fans ecstatic

It was a head-to-head face-off between defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) and former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 13 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The visitors managed to run away with a conquest, thanks to Impact Player (IP) Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh's brilliance, as it overshadowed the hat-trick of GT's stand-in skipper and leg-spinner Rashid Khan, while fans ran amok.

Winning the coin toss, GT opted to bat first, with openers Wriddhiman Saha (17) and Shubman Gill (39) putting on a 33-run partnership before mystery spinner Sunil Narine dismissed the former in the fifth over of the PowerPlay (PP). However, the hosts hardly panicked as Gill and Sai Sudharsan (53) tailored a 67-run stand before the former departed to the same man in the 12th.

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While GT was down to 118/3 in the 14th, Sudharsan and Abhinav Manohar (14) added 35 for the fourth wicket, with the former bringing up his third IPL half-century before falling to Narine in the 18th. However, the hosts kept marching on with their innings as Vijay Shankar (63*) played a blistering innings off just 24 deliveries, slamming his fourth IPL 50 and contributing to a 51-run partnership for the fifth wicket, as GT finished on a monumental total of 204/4.

For KKR, Narine scalped three, while pacer Umesh Yadav was the most economical one from the side. Before the visitors' chase, the hosts brought in pacer Joshua Little as the IP, replacing Sudarshan. KKR began restlessly, losing a couple for 28 by the fourth over of the PP, while it brought in Venkatesh as the IP for mystery leg-spinner Suyash Sharma.

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In the meantime, Iyer (83) and skipper Nitish Rana (45) instantly brought the visitors back into the chase, putting on a healthy 100-run stand for the third wicket before the latter departed to pacer Alzarri Joseph in the 14th. At 154, Iyer, too, fell to the same man a couple of overs later, as the floodgates for KKR were opened thereon.

In the 17th, Rashid dismissed Andre Russell (1), Narine (0) and Shardul Thakur (0) in the first three deliveries of what was his final over the game, as he became the 19th man in the IPL to grab a hat-trick, while it was the 22nd instance of the same in the event.

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However, just when it appeared that GT had it in its pocket, Rinku blasted five six off pacer Yash Dayal in the final over to allow KKR to steal one under the nose of the hosts as the visiting players surrounded the match-winner. The speedster on the receiving end looked dejected, as it was GT's maiden loss of the season, with the KKR winning by three wickets to send the Motera crowd wild.

While Rinku became the sixth batter in the IPL to have hit five sixes in an over after Chris Gayle, Rahul Tewatia, Ravindra Jadeja, Marcus Stoinis and Jason Holder, KKR became the chasing team to have scored the most runs in the final over. For GT, Rashid grasped three, besides being the most economical one.