Gujarat Titans have kept the ball rolling in their title defence with a comfortable 6 wicket win over Delhi Capitals in their second outing this season.
The Hardik Pandya-led squad have a confidence about themselves. They don't look flustered even under trying circumstances and we got a glimpse of that at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
After putting DC in to bat, Gujarat had to chase 163 for victory. With a formidable squad at their disposal that was going to be possible but things can always go wrong when a team doesn't get a good start.
That was seemingly a concern for the champs who lost openers Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha and Hardik inside the first five overs of their chase.
But the GT batting line-up is no ordinary one and after Hardik was sent back, GT brought on Impact Player Vijay Shankar, who replaced Joshua Little.
While Sai Sudharsan, coming in at No 3, started off on a positive note reaching 18 off 14, survived an LBW review off Kuldeep Yadav before he and Shankar went about their business calmly.
For their first three overs together, the duo batted watchfully, happy to just rotate the strike. But once Shankar found his feet, both batters complimented each other, even as the required run rate snuck past the 8-runs-an-over mark.
Calm was the need of the hour and the batters understood that to the T. They converted the singles into twos, scored the odd boundary every over and played no false shots.
The duo slowly but surely kept GT in the game as they ensured that no balls were wasted as they brought up their 50-run stand quietly. Sudharsan and Shankar's no frills 53-run partnership laid the foundation for the victory charge.
And after Shankar left, David Miller took over. Miller walked in with GT needing 51 off 6 overs. Another wicket would make things difficult for GT, but Miller and Sai ensured that wickets stayed intact up till the end.
Miller took an over to settle before bringing out his big bat into play and creaming medium pacer Mukesh Kumar for 2 sixes and a four, while also picking singles to take 20 off the bowler, and drag back the momentum in GT's favour.
Sudharsan got to his 50 off 44 balls -- a crucial innings in the face of the situation. He was part of another 50-run partnership, this time with Miller who scored the winning runs with 11 balls to spare.
Sudharsan's application and shot selection and his two crucial partnerships with Shankar and Miller came to GT's rescue.
Another couple of wickets after Hardik's dismissal would have tilted the game in DC's favour. But the two 50-run stands and a mature innings from young Sudharsan proved to be the game changer.
