IPL match report 2023: 70th Match RCB vs GT: May 21, 2023

Shubman Gill’s outstanding performance in the match between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore had a significant impact on the outcome and showcased his batting prowess. In a game where emotions ran high, Gill’s double century mirrored Virat Kohli’s recent century, symbolizing a transition in Indian cricket’s batting hierarchy.

Gill reached his hundred-eight balls faster than Kohli and hit seven more sixes. However, Kohli faced a different set of circumstances as wickets were falling around him, unlike Gill’s batting partner, Vijay Shankar, who enjoyed a stroke of luck during his partnership of 123 runs with Gill. In fact, the Titans capitalized on false responses, scoring 45 runs, the highest in any innings of the IPL so far.

The match itself was fraught with delays due to thunderstorms and intermittent drizzle, almost resulting in a reduction of overs. RCB, after losing the toss, were asked to bat first. Kohli and Faf du Plessis opened the innings with a dominant 67-run partnership, even denying Mohammed Shami a wicket during the powerplay. However, luck favored the Titans when Noor Ahmad’s delivery to du Plessis resulted in a thick outside edge that flew off Wriddhiman Saha’s pad to be caught at slip.

The partnership between Kohli and du Plessis ended with a combined season aggregate of 939 runs, which interestingly matched the total scored by Kohli and AB de Villiers in 2016. Rashid Khan then made an impact by bowling out Glenn Maxwell with a deceptive wrong’un, taking the Purple Cap away from Shami. However, Shami made a comeback by dismissing Michael Bracewell after a brief cameo, reclaiming the Purple Cap once again. In between, Saha showed skill by stumping Mahipal Lomror down the leg side.

RCB faced a setback when Yash Dayal dismissed Dinesh Karthik for a golden duck, marking Karthik’s 17th duck in all IPL matches, a record. At 133 for 5 in 14.2 overs, RCB struggled due to the lack of big hitters in their lower order. Kohli adjusted his game accordingly, trying to preserve his wicket but still couldn’t find the desired support. His strike rate dropped from 36 off 22 balls in the first six overs to 16 off 14 balls in the next six. However, he excelled in the death overs, reaching his second half-century in just 25 balls. This inning was notable because it marked only the fourth time in IPL history that a century was scored with just one six. Kohli has achieved this feat twice, with Shikhar Dhawan and Gill also achieving it in their previous innings.

When Titans came out to bat, Gill seemed to be in a league of his own. While Saha and Shankar struggled, Gill’s short-arm jabs resulted in sixes, and he found gaps in the field effortlessly. Despite a slow start of 25 for 1 in three overs, Gill’s aggressive approach boosted the team’s morale. Shankar, on the other hand, had more luck on his side, and his fifty came quicker than Kohli’s, even though Kohli played near-flawless cricket.

When the required run rate surpassed 11, Titans capitalized on the offspin of Bracewell, whom Gill dispatched for two sixes. Although Shankar eventually got out, Titans continued to promote batsmen other than Hardik Pandya. Despite several batsmen struggling and getting dismissed, Gill continued his unstoppable innings at the other end, even though he had only faced 12 balls in the last six overs. He scored an impressive 33 runs during that period, helping the Titans secure victory with five balls to spare.