Sai Sudharsan was out of form coming into this game. But the southpaw made it count under pressure. Sai Sudharsan shone under the lights in Bengaluru as he scored a majestic ton and powered GT past 200 runs. The others supported him really well with Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler chipping in. Washington Sundar and Jason Holder closed out the innings really well, while RCB bowlers bowled well in patches. 205 is a good score on the board.
Sai Sudharsan powers GT to a rollicking start in power play.Â
Put into bat first, captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan came out to open for GT while Bhuvneshwar Kumar had the ball in hand for RCB. Sudharsan managed to get a streaky boundary away as he drove to get an outside edge to the short third man fence. Josh Hazlewood came into the attack from the other end. Hazlewood bowled a decent over. Bhuvneshwar continued as Sudharsan showed deft touch and opened his bat face very late to guide it to the third man fence.
Sudharsan was at it again as he punched it away in front of the square for a boundary. Rasikh Salam came out to bat next. Sudharsan dragged it away between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Sudharsan then crunched it away past deep backward point for a boundary. Hazlewood changed ends as Sudharsan moved across and lapped it away past the keeper and away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Sudharsan took on Hazlewood and got enough of it to clear the point fence for the maximum. Sudharsan once again slashed it away past the deep backward point for the maximum.
Salam continued to bowl the last over of the power play. Gill joined in the fun as he slapped it down the ground past mid-on for a boundary as the 50 came up, and of the partnership for the GT. Gill completed 400 fours in the IPL. Sudharsan then smashed it behind square for a boundary past the deep gully fielder. At the end of the power play, GT were well placed at 57/0 in 6 overs with Sudharsan unbeaten on 46 off 29 balls alongside Gill batting on 9* off 7 balls.
Shubman Gill falls, but Sai Sudharsan’s magical ton keeps GT ahead in the game in the middle overs.Â
Krunal Pandya came into the attack post the power play. He bowled a tight first over. Romario Shepherd came into the attack next. Sai took on Shepherd by shuffling across and scooping it over the keeper’s head for the maximum. He got to his fifty in 33 balls and had a chance to convert this into a ton. Sai then handsomely drove him through the covers for a boundary. Gill joined in the fun as he stayed low and played the short-arm jab between long-on and deep midwicket for the boundary. GT were 78/0 in 8 overs as we paused for the Strategic Time Out, the second of the innings.
Krunal continued after the break as Sai took him on and used the pace of the bowler, and the ball sailed over deep third man for the maximum. Sai took Krunal on again as he nailed the slog sweep, which sailed over deep midwicket for the maximum. Suyash Sharma came into the attack next. The 100 came up for GT in 9.5 overs, and of the partnership as well. Sudharsan got down on one knee and pulled it away behind square on the leg side for a boundary. GT were 104/0 in 10 overs.
Krunal continued after the break as Gill got down on one knee and swept it away over the deep square leg fence for the maximum. Salam continued, and he too bowled a decent over as well. Suyash returned to bowl the 13th over, and he got hit by Sai, who pressed forward and nailed the inside-out shot over covers for the maximum. Suyash finally got the wicket for RCB as he dismissed Gill for 32 off 24 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as he was holed out in the deep. Jos Buttler came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar came back into the attack. Sudharsan got a low full toss and heaved it away past deep midwicket for a boundary. One bounce and over the ropes. Suyash continued for his 15th over. Buttler got his first boundary away as he went back in the crease and hammered it through the off-side and got the gap between deep cover and extra cover. Sai got to his 3rd IPL hundred and first this season with a single and got to the other end.
Buttler then took on Suyash as he swung the batter and cleared the ground for the maximum over wide long-on as Buttler was in the zone again. GT went past 150 and were 155/1 in 15 overs with Sai Sudharsan unbeaten on 100 off 57 balls and Jos Buttler unbeaten on 17 off 9 balls. GT is looking good to reach 200+ from here.
Sai Sudharsan falls, but late overs hitting takes GT to 205/3 in 20 overs.Â
The second Strategic Time Out was taken after the 15th over, after which Josh Hazlewood returned to the attack. Buttler welcomed him back with an extension of the arms as he opened the bat face to drive it to the right of backward point for a boundary. Hazlewood got RCB the breakthrough as Sai Sudharsan fell for exactly 100 off 58 balls as the leading edge carried back to Josh Hazlewood. Washington Sundar came out to bat next. Sundar got off the mark with a stand and deliver to smash it over midwicket for the maximum. Sundar then punched the ball behind square in the offside for a boundary.
Suyash Sharma came to bowl the 17th over. Suyash bowled a good over as well. Bhuvneshwar came to bowl the 18th over. Bhuvneshwar struggled out there as he got rid of Buttler for 25 off 16 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as the reverse ramp went straight to the short third man fielder. Jason Holder came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Hazlewood came to bowl the 19th over. He bowled a decent over. Rasikh Dar was supposed to be the final over of the innings, but he had cramp issues and walked off the field. Krunal Pandya came to bowl the final over of the innings as Holder took him on as he cleared his front leg and heaved it across over deep midwicket for the maximum. Krunal had a groin issue but decided to complete the over. Holder took on Krunal as he smashed it from the middle of the bat and cleared deep midwicket for the maximum. Holder then drove through the line and got it to long-off for a boundary.
The 200 came up for GT in 19.4 overs. GT finished their innings at 205/3 in 20 overs with Holder unbeaten on 23 off 10 balls with one four and 2 sixes to his name, while Sundar was unbeaten on 19 off 12 balls with one four and one six to his name. 6 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a mixed day for the RCB bowlers tonight. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 1/31 in 4 overs. Suyash Sharma finished with 1/36 in 4 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished with 1/40 in 4 overs. Rasikh Salam finished with 0/28 in 3 overs. Krunal Pandya finished with 0/50 in 4 overs. Romario Shepherd finished with 0/17 in 1 over. So, this means RCB needs 206 runs to win the contest off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, RCB or GT?Â
Owing to a Sai Sudharsan masterclass, GT has got the runs on the board on a pitch that is good to bat on, but a little two-paced as well. So, this will be a tricky chase for RCB. They can get there, but needs a good start against a good bowling attack in GT. This could go either way, with GT holding the upper hand a little bit. Let’s see how the chase pans out from here.
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