In a thrilling final league match of IPL 2023 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Shubman Gill delivered a breathtaking unbeaten century to guide the Gujarat Titans to a remarkable six-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Gill's scintillating knock of 104 off just 52 balls, including five fours and eight sixes, left the crowd at the stadium in awe as he single-handedly hunted down the challenging target of 198 with five balls to spare. Gill's heroics shattered countless hearts among the home crowd, who witnessed his exquisite strokeplay and a strike-rate of 200.
Earlier in the match, Virat Kohli showcased his brilliance once again, smashing his second consecutive century of IPL 2023. Kohli remained unbeaten throughout the innings, powering the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a competitive total of 197/5. However, Gill's phenomenal performance overshadowed Kohli's century and sealed the victory for the Gujarat Titans.
With this result in Bengaluru, the five-time champions Mumbai Indians secured the final spot in the playoffs. They will now face the Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator on May 24 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, setting the stage for an exciting knockout clash.
Chasing a formidable target, Gujarat Titans got off to a solid start with Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill hitting two boundaries each in the first three overs. However, Saha fell to Mohammed Siraj's bowling in the third over, courtesy of a spectacular one-handed catch by Wayne Parnell at cover.
Vijay Shankar joined Gill at the crease and showcased his own strokeplay by finding the boundaries with a couple of outside edges off Parnell. He then lofted a six over long-on, while Gill unleashed his attacking prowess with a clean six down the ground against Vyshak Vijaykumar. Gill's strokeplay continued to dazzle the spectators as he struck lucky edges for boundaries and swiped Himanshu Sharma for a six over deep mid-wicket.
Shankar, who struggled against the spinners, changed gears by cutting Harshal Patel for four and slog-sweeping Himanshu for another boundary. Gill, on the other hand, dominated Michael Bracewell's off-spin, smashing him for a six over long leg and another over deep mid-wicket.
Gujarat's luck continued as Shankar found the boundary with an outside edge against Siraj. He then showcased his power-hitting by ramping and lofting Vyshak for two more fours before slogging him for six to reach his half-century in 34 balls.
However, Shankar's dismissal to a catch at deep mid-wicket brought a slight twist to the game, followed by Dasun Shanaka's quick departure in the same region. With the pressure mounting, Gill displayed his class by hitting a crucial six off Siraj's short-arm pull to release the tension. David Miller, who joined Gill at the crease, fell to Siraj's bowling, but Gill continued to dominate the chase.
Gill's brilliance was on full display as he pulled Siraj over deep mid-wicket for another maximum, reducing the required runs to 19 off 12 balls. He then effortlessly hit a short-arm pull against Harshal for six, before sealing the victory in style with a maximum over long-on to complete his second consecutive century in the IPL.
Shubman Gill's extraordinary innings will be remembered as one of the finest displays of power-hitting in the IPL. His remarkable century propelled the Gujarat Titans to a sensational win, leaving fans in awe and setting the stage for an
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 197/5 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 101 not out; Noor Ahmad 2/39) lost to Gujarat Titans 198/4 in 19.1 overs (Shubman Gill 104 not out, Vijay Shankar 53; Mohammed Siraj 2/32) by six wickets