Gujarat Titans scored 204/4 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 13th game of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Rashid Khan chose to bat first after winning the coin toss because his batters were up to the task, filling in for an ill Hardik Pandya.
Although runs did not come easily for Gujarat, they got off to a respectable start with the ball. The hosts got off to a good start with a second over from Shardul Thakur that yielded 13 runs, but subsequent economical overs from Umesh Yadav and Lockie Ferguson put the onus back on the Titans’ openers, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill.
Saha chose to throw off the chains in the fifth over because the scoring rate was below 8 runs per over, but he ultimately lost his wicket to a Sunil Narine delivery.
Twitter Fan’s Reaction After Vijay Shankar’s Knock:
Trophy wise also
Vijay Shankar > Virat and ABD combined in IPL https://t.co/43z4d281hF
— Sam (@gingerbonda) April 9, 2023
#GTvsKKR
After watching today Vijay shankar batting pic.twitter.com/BgDuH99yXx— Aryan thakur (@thakurarya2022) April 9, 2023
Vijay Shankar 63* (24) -4(4s) 5(6s)
Msk Prasad : pic.twitter.com/JLqgHJfTXz— Maximus Decimus MeRRRidius (@Vivek_Tweetzz) April 9, 2023
From the peak of 2019 world cup selection, it was a great fall for a really hard working player! Finally got a chance today showcase a glimpse of his capability! #IPL2023 #GTvsKKR #VijayShankar pic.twitter.com/YkVa8uktLM
— Arun Govindan (@ArunGovindan5) April 9, 2023
Vijay Shankar in a world cup year.
We have seen this before 🍿🍿— Aqeel (@4qeel7) April 9, 2023
Varun Chakaravarthy, who joined the bowling attack, relieved the Gujarat bowlers’ pressure, despite the spinner giving up 16 runs in his first over.
The following four overs were uneventful, scoring 32 runs at an average rate of 8 runs per over, with Gill and Sai Sudharsan punishing the occasional poor pitch while giving every good delivery due respect.
By that point, the balance had tipped in favour of the defending champions, but a brilliant over from Sunil Narine allowed the Knight Riders to get back into the contest.
At long-on, Gill attempted to throw the ball into the crowd but instead gave Umesh Yadav some routine catching practice, which led to the arrival of Abhinav Manohar.
The fastest fifty by a Gujarat Titans batter in IPL history was another significant feat he attained. Only 21 balls were needed to reach his half-century. With the brilliance of Vijay Shankar Gujarat Titans posted a mammoth target of 205 for the Knight Riders.
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