Even low-scoring T20 matches can be entertaining to watch.
For a change, the batters struggled to get the boundaries on a tough pitch in Mullanpur, Mohali, while the spinners ruled the roost.
Electing to bat, Punjab Kings were bowled out for 142 and Gujarat Titans nearly made a meal of the run chase but recovered at the end to win by three wickets.
No batter from either team could touch the 40 run mark. It was not the usual fireworks from the bat, with both teams combined managing just 28 fours and seven sixes in the match.
PBKS vs GT: The Best Knocks:
Rahul Tewatia
In the first match between the two teams earlier this season, Tewatia had blasted 23 from eight balls, but Titans still went on to lose the match.
This time he made sure he carried his team home with an entertaining cameo of 36 from 18 balls, with seven fours.
The left-hander, who came at the fall of B Sai Sudharsan's wicket, got off the mark with a glance down fine leg for a four.
With 38 needed off 24 balls, Tewatia survived an LBW review off Harpreet Brar as he missed the reverse sweep before he hammered the Punjab spinner for two boundaries to claim 13 runs from the 17th over.
He then smashed Kagiso Rabada for three overs in the next over while Shahrukh Khan hit a six to take the South African pacer out for 20 runs, which put the game beyond Punjab's reach.
Fittingly, Tewatia hit the winning runs as he glanced Arshdeep Singh for a four to fine leg in the final over as Titans managed an important victory to keep themselves in race for the IPL play-offs.
Shubman Gill
The Gujarat Titans captain was a little slow off the blocks, and played the first two overs watchfully.
He then got into his rhythm with back-to-back fours off Rabada in the third over. He was happy to just find the singles and two while punishing the bad deliveries for the odd boundary, not looking in any rush to hit boundaries regularly in the Powerplay.
He got his runs through square on the off side, cutting the bowlers past backward point. Gill kept the scoreboard ticking and built a 41 run stand with Sai Sudharsan to put GT on track.
He was eventually dismissed by Liam Livingstone for 35 off 29, his innings decorated with four boundaries.
B Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan has been quite consistent this season though his strike rate (122) needs to catch up.
The Tamil Nadu youngster started off with a boundary off the first ball he faced, from Arshdeep Singh, but was content to play it safe for most part of his innings.
He stitched together a stand with Gill as Titans looked to take a steady approach towards the target instead of throwing their wickets away with reckless shots.
The left-hander looked determined to bat till the very end, but failed to do so as he was bowled off an inside edge as he attempted to push Sam Curran through the off-side.
Sudharsan was dismissed after a sedate 31 from 34 balls, in which he hit just three fours.
Prabhsimran Singh
On what was expected to be a good pitch for batting, Sam Curran decided to bat first on winning the toss.
Opener Prabhsimran was slow off the blocks scoring just a single off the first over. He then fancied his chances against Sandeep Warrier whom he walloped for a four through the leg side before using his feet to hit a length ball for a four over mid-off.
He followed that up with a six as he sliced the full toss ball hard over third man for a maximum with Warrier also overstepping.
Prabhsimran cashed in on the free hit delivery, carting it over the off side for another four to get 21 runs from the second over.
The right-hander's wristy whip over square leg for a six was a delight to watch as he looked in full flow in front of his home fans.
Prabhsimran played another amazing shot as he uppercut a short wide ball from Mohit Sharma over third man for a six. But he perished to the same bowler off the next ball, as he came down and had a big swing but only managed the edge and was caught behind after a fluent 35 from 21 balls.
Harpreet Brar
All-rounder Harpreet Brar came in the middle with Punjab tottering at 99 for 7.
He got off the mark with a single before sweeping Sai Kishore for a four in the same over as he made his intent quite clear.
He continued to accelerate hitting Mohit for two back-to-back fours -- pulling the short ball to the midwicket boundary and heaving the next through square leg -- giving us a glimpse of the batter inside the left-arm orthodox spinner.
Brar was dropped on 17 off Sai Kishore by David Miller at long off and he made Gujarat Titans pay for that lapse, with a four and a six off successive deliveries before the bowler got the better of him.
Brar was dismissed for 29 off 12 but he had done his job of rallying Punjab to 140, when they looked to settle for much lesser at one stage.
PBKS vs GT: Who Played The Best Knock? Vote!
Photographs: BCCI
