Sai Sudharsan smashed an impressive half-century to help Gujarat Titans thrash Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.
The opener followed up his century during Friday's defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru by producing another brutal knock at MA Chidambaram Stadium as Gujarat coasted to victory with 20 balls remaining.
Gujarat, whose sole IPL crown came in their debut 2022 season, made a flying start towards their victory target of 158 with Sudharsan and Subman Gill battering 58 in little over six overs.
Captain Gill fell for 33 (off 23 balls) after being caught out of his crease by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson off the bowling of Noor Ahmad, which only brought Jos Buttler to the crease. The English batter then put together a partnership of 97 with Sudharsan which would propel Gujarat towards the finishing line.
The Chennai-born batter would fall short of his second century on the spin, though, when Dewald Brevis produced a fine diving catch at deep midwicket to end Sudharsan's knock of 87 that came off 46 balls, including four fours and seven sixes.
Buttler sealed Gujarat's victory after two defeats on the spin by cracking Akeal Hosein back down the ground for six as he finished unbeaten on 39 off 30 balls.
Victory lifted Gujarat clear of sixth-place Chennai and means they are now just two points outside the top four. Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru all on 10 points, two shy of leaders Punjab Kings.
“To get a win like that in this part of India, I am very happy,” said Gill. “Apart from the last four or five overs, it was a complete performance. I was a little confused whether to bowl or bat [at the toss] but we bowled well in the powerplay. If I have to be critical, finishing an innings has been a problem.
“[Sudharsan] is batting brilliantly. It [form] was always with him … it is all about spending the time at the crease.”
Five-time title winners Chennai had reached 157-8 in their 20 overs with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad top-scoring with 74 off 60 balls, including six fours and four sixes.
They needed a whirlwind finish to reach that total after only breaching the 100 marker in the 15th over as Gaikwad struggled early on, having scored 20 off 37 balls at one stage.
Jamie Overton and Kartik Sharma injected some late momentum into the innings, with Gaikwad also finally upping the pace, as Chennai hit 107 runs in the last eight overs
Fast-bowler Kagiso Rabada finished with 3-25 off his four overs while Arshad Khan claimed 2-43. “I actually didn't feel I started pretty well,” said player of the match Rabada. “That's how cricket goes. I am glad to play a part to take the team across the line. We needed the two points.”
Earlier, there was to be no repeat of Samson's blockbusting century that put Chennai on the way to a thumping 103-run victory over Mumbai Indians three days ago.
The opener nicked a wide one from Rabada behind before being quickly joined by Urvil, who top-edged the South African pacer to Holder at mid-on, and then impact sub Sarfaraz Khan, gone without troubling the scorers as three wickets went down in the powerplay.
Dewald Brevis (two) was out in the eighth over with the South African miss-timing a swipe off all-rounder Suthar to leave Chennai struggling at 37-4.
Gaikwad and Shivam Dube (22) steadied the ship with a 50 partnership, with the former eventually reaching his half-century off 49 balls – his slowest ever in the IPL and the slowest by anyone in the tournament since the start of 2022.
And only Shikhar Dhawan (31 for Punjab Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023) has faced more dot balls in IPL history than the 30 in Gaikwad's innings. The contributions late on of Kartik (15 off nine) and Overton (18 off six) were crucial to Chennai managing to get a remotely decent total on the board.
“Sometimes I hate to assess, it this way but it was challenging in the first innings,” said Gaikwad. "It was holding for the medium pacers and the bounce was up and down. We lost too many wickets but it was difficult to play some shots.
“It is hard to assess how [the pitch] plays. This game we didn't have any idea. By the time, we wanted to adapt it was too late. At the first timeout, when Flem [coach Stephen Flemming] came out I told him, I am trying to attack but it was tough.
“There was more bounce, or less bounce, and I told him I am trying to change. It just did not come good. It was just an off day and even on the field we were lethargic.”
Next up for Gujarat will be reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their Narenadra Midi Stadium home on Thursday, while Chennai are at back at the MA Chidambaram Stadium when they face Mumbai Indians next Saturday.
