IPL 2023: Riding on Shubman's Century, Gujarat Trump Hyderabad to Enter Playoffs

Shubman Gill scored his maiden IPL century on 15 May against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

(Photo: BCCI)

Shubman Gill smashed his maiden IPL century while Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked a fifer (5/30) in an eventful first innings of the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday but in the end, Gill got to continue his celebrations into the night as Gujarat trumped Hyderabad by 34 runs in a fairly one-sided match to become the first team to qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs. Hyderabad though have become the second team to be knocked out, after Delhi.

Gujarat Titans have qualified for IPL 2023 Playoffs

photo: The Quint

Gill (101 off 58) and B. Sai Sudharsan (47 off 36) set the foundation for a big total with their 147-run stand before GT lost momentum with the bat in the final stages of the first innings and suffered a sudden collapse with just 41 runs coming for the loss of seven wickets in the death overs to post 188/9.

Shami (4/21) then ripped through the SRH top-order and Mohit (4-24) scythed through the middle-order as the hosts overcame a fighting effort from Heinrich Klaasen (64 off 44) to restrict SRH to 154/9 and become the first team to qualify for the playoffs.

Hyderabad Put Gujarat in to Bat

Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked wickets on both ends of the Gujarat innings, first sending back Wriddhiman Saha in the first over, and then picking three wickets in the final over to complete his fifer.

After losing the first wicket early, Shubman Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan together collected 10 boundaries, taking the Power-Play score to 65 for the loss of one wicket. The duo continued punishing SRH bowlers with their boundary hits and crossed the 100-run partnership halfway through the innings. In the process, Gill completed his fifth fifty.

The Titans batters were putting pressure on Sunrisers as Marco Jansen overstepped and conceded a no-ball, followed by a wide on the free hit. A misfield on mid-wicket from Bhuvneshwar gifted a boundary to the batter.

GT continued to motor along will Gill's strokeplay and Sudharsan being lucky on three occasions, when could have been run out. Markram has tried seven bowlers but nothing has worked as SRH were struggling in every department.

Sunrisers though made a breakthrough in the slog overs as the Titans suffered a sudden collapse with just 41 runs coming for the loss of seven wickets.

Jansen made a breakthrough in the 15th over as he broke a 147-run stand with the wicket of Sudharsan.

Captain Hardik Pandya came and pulled it hard toward the deep square-leg region, to begin with a four, but Bhuvneshwar didn't let him stay for long and removed him the next over. Hardik slashed hard and cut it straight to Rahul Tripathi at the backward point region. He took a fine catch and the GT skipper departed for 8.

Natarajan, then, removed David Miller, who smashed it away but hit it flat and the ball quickly went toward long-on where Markram took a sharp catch around his face.

The next over Rahul Tewatia stepped out and lift it over long off but the ball sliced up high toward mid-off, where Jansen came in from the deep to take a solid catch and GT lost another wicket.

Meanwhile, Gill brought up his maiden IPL century with a single in the 19th over. But, Bhuvneshwar sent him back soon after his hundred in the final over. On the next delivery, he dismissed Rashid Khan.

Rahul Tewatia stepped out again and looked to lift it over long-off but it is way too early in the shot. The ball got sliced up high toward mid-off and Marco Jansen comes in from the deep to take a solid catch.

Noor Ahmad walked out to bat, Bhuvneshwar didn't get the hat-trick to his name but it was a team hat-trick for SRH as Noor tried to sneak a single via bye. Klaasen's underarm throw went to Bhuvneshwar on the bounce and he hit the bullseye at the bowler's end to catch Noor short of his ground.

On the next delivery, the seasoned pacer claimed his fifer, sending Shami back on the penultimate ball as Titans posted 188/9 in 20 overs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar celebrates a wicket during IPL 2023.

(Photo: BCCI)

Hyderabad's Chase

Chasing 189, SRH were jolted early by Mohammad Shami's triple strike in the powerplay which reduced the team to 29/4. He first got the opener Anmolpreet Singh in the first over and then in next over, Yash Dayal removed Abhishek Sharma for 4.

Shami struck again in the third over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi and got the big wicket of skipper Aiden Markram in the fifth over and Sanvir Singh smashed him for a maximum on the last ball of the over.

Heinrich Klassen make a bit of room and lofted it all the way over the extra cover fence for a six and SRH were 45/4 at the end of the powerplay.

The next over Mohit Sharma's double strike put further miseries on SRH in the run-chase as the visitors were reduced to 50/6. He first got rid of Sanvir Singh.

Then, Abdul Samad stayed back and looked to muscle away a slower ball but got no elevation and the ball crunched straight to short mid-wicket where Shivam Mavi took a sharp catch.

An over later, Mohit claimed his third in the form of Marco Jansen, who looked to loft it down the ground but the ball took the thick inside half and ended up chipping an easy catch for the GT skipper and Sunrisers lost their seventh wicket on the score of 59.

In between, the in-form Klaasen kept battling hard as he brought up his half-century off 35 balls and stitched a 68-run partnership for the eighth wicket.

When 66 was needed in 24 balls, Shami broke the crucial 68-run partnership by sending Klassen back in the 17th over, making it tougher for the Sunrisers to go over the line.

Mayank Markande hammered Mohit for a six and a boundary in the penultimate over. The pacer was quick to regroup and got rid of Bhuvneshwar.

With 42 left for the final over, Rahul Tewatia gave away just seven runs as GT restrict SRH to 154/9 in 20 overs to seal an important 34-run win.