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The Gujarat Titans roared back to victory with a six-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings after a great IPL return by Mohit Sharma and Shubman Gill with 49 67s on Thursday. Average player Mohit marked his comeback with 2/18 as GT owners capped PBKS to 153 for eight. Playing in his first league game since 2020, Mohit scored in the penultimate over with just six runs. When it was their turn to bat, Gill led his fine half-century as GT ended the 154 chase in 19.5 overs, four days after a heartbreaking loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Last season, Mohit, who served as the team’s clean bowler who also played for the Indian team, including in the World Cup, mixed his pace and changed length well throughout his spell.
Later, young Gill once again showed his class with quality innings that included seven fours and a six.
From GT’s point of view, it was extremely important that Gill stay until the end, especially after the sacking of captain Hardik Pandya with 48 runs to their third 34-ball win.
For PBKS, Matthew Short scored the most points with 24 36s, but it was Masood Shah Rukh Khan with nine 22s that helped the team cross 150.
GT were up to the mark with 56 points in six overs on the power play and Gill was a great shooter.
Meanwhile, PBKS lead Kagiso Rabada became the fastest 100 wicket player in the IPL when he caught Vriddiman Saha (30 of 19 balls) on a deep square foot from a short ball.
The South African speedster only needed 64 games to reach that mark, six games short of Lasita Malinga’s 70.
Previously sent into action after a coin landed in favor of returning GT skipper Hardik, PBKS lost to Prabhsimran Singh in the second ball of the over when his attempt to hit a long ball from Mohammed Shami landed directly on Rashid Khan in a short midwicket.
Prabhsimran left without glasses.
Short came in at number three and missed the goal with the boundary, hitting the ball through the dot. The next ball was short and Short pulled India’s hardened machine through the square leg area for four more.
Sharing a new ball with Shami, Joshua Little was met with a two-bound by a fit Shikhar Dhawan. While the first one was lifted over the cover, Dhawan delivered a delightful hit on the next ball, caressing the middle of the ball, which was top-notch cover.
Aussie Short, well-established with the Adelaide Strikers in the homeland Big Kick League, took on Shami and hit him for four in a row, including an authoritative boundary midway through the match.
However, just when PBKS seemed to be putting pressure on GT, Little gave his team a huge breakout by sacking the dangerous Dhawan (8) who came onto the track to play a high shot, only to end up giving the catch to Alzarri Joseph.
GT took another big wicket when the always reliable Rashid (1/26 for 4 overs) tricked a well-placed Short with a googly with a PBKS score of 55-of-3 in the seventh over.
After collecting a flurry of fours and a high six from Joseph, Short calmed down well, but looked clueless when Rashid decided to play the wrong hand.
Short’s sacking strained PBKS a bit and it got tougher when Jitesh Sharma (25 of 23 balls) was sent back by Mohit thanks to Vriddhiman’s smart wicket work.
Sam Curran (22) hit a much-needed six – a big high from a deep mid-wicket after star player Rashid missed.
Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa was unsure of his 26-ball 20 until his stay at center was interrupted by Joseph.
Shah Rukh Khan broke the first ball he faced to a six from deep in the middle of the wicket before taking another high from Shami.
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