IPL 2023 Qualifier 2: Shubman Gill, Mohit Sharma help GT thrash MI by 62 runs, reach 2nd straight final

Defending champions Gujarat Titans stormed into the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a second season running after thrashing Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Friday.IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap​The Hardik Pandya-led side thus stand the chance to make it two-in-two since winning the title on debut in the cash-rich league last year.Opening batter Shubman Gill starred in yet another victory for the Titans, smashing his career-best T20 score of 129 off just 60 deliveries to power GT to a commanding 233/3. This was after MI skipper Rohit Sharma chose to field following a heavy showers forced the toss to get delayed by 45 minutes, with play starting at 8 pm local time.MI, in reply, made a fantastic recovery from a shaky start thanks to a blazing 38-ball 61 from Suryakumar Yadav along with supporting acts from Tilak Verma (43 off 14) and Cameron Green (30 off 20), but crumbled spectacularly after SKY's dismissal of Mohit Sharma's bowling. Mohit would then go on to finish the pick of the bowlers with stellar figures of 5/10.Unstoppable Gill tears Mumbai to shredsGill and Wriddhiman Saha got Gujarat off to a positive start, with the pair completing the 50-run opening partnership inside the powerplay. Gill was handed a lifeline while batting on 30 after Tim David put down a tough chance near mid on off Chris Jordan's bowling. Saha, meanwhile, would depart right after the fielding restrictions ended, Piyush Chawla breaking the opening stand by getting the Bengal keeper-batter stumped.From thereon, however, it was Gujarat all the way till the end of the innings as Gill launched an audacious assault on the Mumbai bowlers that took the game away from them. The shift in momentum happened during the ninth over in which Gill smashed Chawla for a straight six in a 16-run over.[caption id="attachment_12652852" align="alignnone" width="640"]

Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill celebrates after completing his third century of IPL 2023 in 49 balls during the Qualifier 2 clash against Mumbai Indians. Sportzpics[/caption]He would then make mincemeat of Akash Madhwal, who had starred in MI's 81-run hammering of Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator with a haul of 5/5, and Chawla in the 12th and 13th overs, which fetched Gujarat 21 and 20 runs respectively. Two overs later, Gill would take off his helmet once again as he celebrated a third century in four outings to lay the groundwork for a mammoth total for the Titans.Gill smashed 10 sixes and seven fours in his knock in which he struck a 215, and would ultimately get dismissed off Madhwal's bowling, with David — the man who had given him a reprieve early in the innings — holding on to the catch at deep midwicket. By then, however, Gujarat already had one foot in the final.Mohit trumps Surya, registers best IPL haulMumbai were in trouble even before facing a delivery in their chase as wicketkeeper-batter and opener Ishan Kishan had to leave the field after getting hit on the eye by Jordan's elbow around the 16th over of the Gujarat innings, with Impact Player Nehal Wadhera sent out to open the innings alongside skipper Rohit.Both Rohit (8) and Wadhera (4) would be dismissed for single-digit scores in successive overs from Mohammed Shami, allowing GT to seize control right away. Between the two dismissals, in-form all-rounder Cameron Green, who got off the mark with a boundary off his first delivery, had to retire hurt after getting struck on the left forearm by a bouncer from GT skipper Pandya.Tilak Verma and Suryakumar Yadav however, revived Mumbai's chase with an attacking third-wicket stand worth just 51 off just 22 deliveries. Verma was particularly severe on veteran pacer Shami, smashing him for four consecutive fours followed by a brace and a six in a 24-run over — the most expensive of the day. He would collect a boundary off Rashid Khan the following over, but would be dismissed off the last ball of the powerplay for a 14-ball 43.

Mumbai however, received a big boost with Green deciding to make his way back to the centre. The Australian all-rounder's attacking approach took pressure off SKY and the two went about scoring feely off the GT bowlers to keep MI in the hunt through the middle overs. The pair collected three boundaries between them in Rashid's second over as the Afghan went for 15 in his second over, with Mumbai appearing solid at 110/3 at the halfway stage.Green, though, was undone by Irish seamer Josh Little, who replaced Dasun Shanaka in the squad before veteran seamer Mohit Sharma uprooted Surya's leg-stump with a brilliant delivery in which he managed to beat his blade while the star batter shaped for one of his signature ramp over fine leg, dashing Mumbai's hopes in the process. The 34-year-old seamer would get rid of Vishnu Vinod two balls later to make it a double-wicket over, reducing MI to 156/6.Tim David, who had pulled off a miraculous chase against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, was trapped LBW by Rashid in his final over before Mohit polished off the remainder of the Mumbai batting lineup to register his career-best T20 haul.Brief Scores:Gujarat Titans 233/3 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 129, Sai Sudharsan 43, Hardik Pandya 28; Piyush Chawla 1/45) defeated Mumbai Indians 171 in 18.2 (Suryakumar Yadav 61, Tilak Verma 43, Cameron Green 30; Mohit Sharma 5/10, Rashid Khan 2/33) by 62 runs.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.