Rashid Khan’s 31 runs and Rahul Tewatia’s 40 not out helped Gujarat Titans beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 wickets to top the points table. Hyderabad made a strong score of 195 for six with opener Abhishek Sharma (65) and Aidan Markram (56) hitting half-centuries and Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 25 not out, but Gujarat, despite losing wickets, hit four sixes in the last over. But scoring 199 for five in 20 overs, won the seventh match in eight matches and moved closer to the playoffs. Despite scoring a big score, Hyderabad could not defend it and had to face the third defeat in eight matches.
Chasing a target of 196 runs to win, Gujarat needed 22 runs in the last over. Rahul Tewatia hit a six on the first ball of Marco Janssen and took a run off the second ball. Now 15 runs were needed in four balls and Rashid hit Jansen for a six over his head.
No runs were scored on the next ball and nine runs were needed from the last three balls. On the fifth ball, Rashid hit a six at extra cover. Now one ball and three runs but this match was bound to be in the name of Rashid (31 not out in 11 balls) who made the impossible possible by hitting a six in the last ball at fine leg.
With this win, Gujarat Titans have reached the top with 14 points after winning seven out of eight matches. The five-match winning streak of Sunrisers was also broken, who are at the third position with 10 points from eight matches.
Tewatia remained unbeaten on 40 off 21 balls. Earlier, Wriddhiman Saha gave a good start to Gujarat with his 38-ball 68. After this, however, Malik wreaked havoc, taking five wickets for 25 runs in four overs by bowling a spell. Apart from Saha, Shubman Gill (22), Hardik Pandya (10), David Miller (17) and Abhinav Manohar (0) were his victims.
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 195 for six with the help of aggressive half-centuries from openers Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram. Abhishek scored 65 runs in 42 balls with the help of six fours and three sixes while Markram made 56 off 40 balls which included two fours and three sixes. Both made 96 runs in the third wicket partnership.
After this, Shashank Singh scored 25 runs in the last over including Lockie Ferguson for three sixes. He remained unbeaten on 25 off six balls. Sent in to bat first Sunrisers got their first blow early when Kane Williamson was sent to the pavilion by Mohammed Shami. Shami took three wickets for 39 runs in four overs.
Shami gave 11 runs in the first over and Yash Dayal gave 11 runs in the second over. After this Williamson was out and new batsman Rahul Tripathi got life as soon as he came. He hit six and two fours in Shami’s over but was dismissed leg before his own delivery.
Without being distracted by the fall of two wickets, Abhishek hit Alzarri Joseph for two consecutive fours. Sunrisers added 53 runs in six overs of the powerplay. Sunrisers needed a big partnership at this point and Abhishek and Aiden Markram did not disappoint. Markram hit a fast bowler like Alzarri and Abhishek beat Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan.
Abhishek was dismissed in the 16th over off Alzarri’s first ball. At the same time, Shami sent Nicholas Pooran (three) cheaply to the pavilion.