GT eliminates CSK from IPL play-offs race
Gujarat Titans' bankable top order laid the groundwork for a dominating 89-run win over Chennai Super Kings here on Thursday, taking them closer to a top-two qualification for the Indian Premier League play-offs.
Shubman Gill (64 off 37) and Sai Sudharsan (84 off 53) added to their remarkable consistency as an opening pair with a record seventh century partnership, fuelling Gujarat Titans to 229 for four on a true batting surface.
Jos Buttler (57 not out off 27) blasted a barrage of sixes and fours in the second half of the innings to prop up the total.
CSK, who had a slim chance of making the play-offs going into this must-win game, lost the match in the power play when they lost four wickets for 51 runs. The visitors were all out for 140 in 13.4 overs after a six-filled cameo from Shivam Dube (47 off 17).
For the third straight season, the five-time champions failed to make the playoffs.
Mohammed Siraj took three wickets in the first six overs, including that of Sanju Samson, who edged the very first delivery of the CSK innings. Samson fished at a wide delivery and got a faint tickle on way to Buttler.
Titans' bowling unit has arguably been the best in the tournament and they reinforced with a stellar show in the first six overs. Complementing Siraj, Kagiso Rabada had Matthew Short at mid-on off a ball that seamed back in slightly and the Australia could not connect properly. Titans capped of their successful stage campaign with nine wins in 14 matches, totalling 18 points. Sunrisers Hyderabad too can reach 18 points if they win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are already on 18 points, tomorrow.
The top two sides out of four play-off teams get two shots at reaching the final scheduled in Ahmedabad on May 31.
Earlier, Gill displayed sublime touch from ball one, toying with the left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson in the powerplay.
Gill got his fifty off 23 balls while Sudharsan reached the milestone off 35 balls, his fifth consecutive half-century. Gill scored the bulk of the runs in their 125-run stand off 74 balls. The range of boundaries Gill picked up off a wayward Johnson was a masterclass in batting. He mixed minimum muscle with trademark elegance to get the desired results.
His fours off Johnson included a cut off the Australian's very first ball before the Indian star used his crease against the left-arm pacer to collect boundaries at will. The straight drive in the same over was the most majestic of them all.
When Noor Ahmad was brought into the attack post powerplay that yielded 62 runs, Gill did not allow him to settle, slog sweeping him for couple of sixes.
The 100-run partnership for the seventh time was brought up soon after, surpassing the pair of David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan, and Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who have forged six century stand each in the IPL.
Both the openers were hardly troubled as Titans cruised to 111 for no loss in 10 overs.
After Gill's departure, Sudharsan and Buttler maintained the same tempo to take Titans well past 200.
Sudharsan played with minimum risk as he often does. In the penultimate over, he picked a wide, low full toss off Anshul Kamboj over point for a spectacular six.
Buttler too was in full flow and collected as many as four sixes, two coming off Noor.
