Gill and Sai Sudharsan hammer the daylights out of CSK attack

The openers smash centuries and script a 210-run partnership to lay the foundation for Titans who go on to pile up a mammoth 231 for three; the Chennai side falls 35 runs short as Mohit puts the skids on the chase with a three-for

win. The duo made optimum use of the good batting conditions, displaying their full range with a mix of conventional batting and smart improvisation.

Right from the †rst ball he faced, Gill showed he meant business; he cut Mitchell Santner for a four and deposited him over long-on in the †rst over.

Sai Sudharsan joined the party with a couple of sixes. He then went after Ravindra Jadeja, targeting the leg-side boundary and getting to his half-century with a slog-swept six.

Ruturaj Gaikwad had to rely on seamers Simarjeet Singh and Daryl Mitchell as the spinners struggled, but the plan back†red. The —oodgates opened in the 11th over when Gill pulled Simarjeet over †ne-leg for a maximum to reach his half-century before Sai Sudharsan †nished the over with a brace of sixes.

Gill turned his attention to Daryl Mitchell in the 14th over, smashing three sixes. To make it more agonising for the bowler, Tushar Deshpande dropped the second shot at long-o˜ when the batter was on 72.

As they had done throughout their innings, Gill and Sai Sudharsan majestically touched the three†gure mark in the 17th over bowled by Simarjeet. While the former punished a full toss, the latter scooped the ball over †neleg for a maximum.

Though Deshpande and Shardul Thakur pulled things back for Super Kings in the †nal †ve overs, they couldn’t stop Titans from making a mammoth total.

Chasing a target of 232, CSK was reduced to 10 for three. Mitchell (63) and Moeen Ali (56) put up a †ght, adding 109 for the

GUJARAT TITANS

B. Sai Sudharsan c Dube b Deshpande 103 (51b, 5x4, 7x6), Shubman Gill c Jadeja b Deshpande 104 (55b, 9x4, 6x6), David Miller (not out) 16 (11b, 1x4), M. Shahrukh Khan run out 2 (3b); Extras (lb-1, w-5): 6; Total

(for three wkts. in 20 overs): 231.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-210 (Sai Sudharsan, 17.2 overs), 2-213 (Gill, 17.6), 3-231 (Shahrukh, 19.6).

SUPER KINGS BOWLING Santner 2-0-31-0, Deshpande 4-0-33-2, Shardul 4-0-25-0, Simarjeet 4-0-60-0, Jadeja 2-0-29-0, Mitchell 4-0-52-0.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS Ajinkya Rahane (Impact Player in place of Deshpande)c Tewatia b Warrier 1 (5b), Rachin Ravindra run out 1 (2b), Ruturaj Gaikwad c Rashid b Umesh 0 (3b), Daryl Mitchell c Shahrukh b Mohit 63 (34b, 7x4, 3x6), Moeen Ali c Noor b Mohit 56 (36b, 4x4, 4x6), Shivam Dube c Noor b Mohit 21 (13b, 2x4, 1x6), Ravindra Jadeja c Miller b Rashid 18 (10b, 2x4, 1x6), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 26 (11b, 1x4, 3x6), Mitchell Santner b Rashid 0 (2b), Shardul Thakur (not out) 3 (4b): Extras (lb-3, w-4): 7; Total

(for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 196.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-2 (Ravindra, 0.6), 2-2 (Rahane, 1.1), 3-10 (Ruturaj, 2.5), 4-119 (Mitchell, 12.2), 5-135 (Moeen, 14.2), 6-165 (Dube, 16.4), 7-169 (Jadeja, 17.3), 8-169 (Santner, 17.5).

TITANS BOWLING Umesh 3-0-20-1, Warrier (Impact Player in place of Sai Sudharsan) 3-0-28-1, Tyagi 4-0-51-0, Noor 2-0-25-0, Rashid 4-0-38-2, Mohit 4-0-31-3.

Toss: CSK. PoM: Gill.

Titans won by 35 runs. fourth wicket. Mohit Sharma weaved his magic, foxing Mitchell and Moeen with slower deliveries as the chase †zzled out. With their †fth victory, Titans lived to †ght another day.

VIJAY SONEJI Gill smashed nine fours and six sixes while Sai Sudharsan hit five fours and seven sixes.