Rahul Tewatia smashed two sixes off the last two balls following a brilliant Shubman Gill’s scintillating 96 off 59 balls after a scintillating six-wicket win against Gujarat Titans in their IPL match here on Friday. Chasing 190 for victory, Gill was dismissed for 11 fours and a six in the 19th over, followed by his captain Hardik Pandya (27) in the final over as the Titans needed 12 runs off the last two balls.
Tewatia (13 not out from 3 balls), who has a reputation for hitting big sixes in difficult conditions, sent the last two balls bowled by Odion Smith to hand the Titans a third successive win.
The Punjab side made a spectacular comeback on the death and were on the verge of victory, which Tewatia denied in a dramatic fashion.
Gill, who had scored 84 runs in the previous match against Delhi Capitals, cut, broke and hit the Punjab bowlers to hold them together at one end. He shared a 101 run partnership with Sai Sudarshan (35 runs in 30 balls) in 11.2 overs and kept the Titans in the run chase.
It was not an easy chase, though Titans needed more than 11 runs per over after Sudarshan was dismissed by Rahul Chahar (1/41) in the 15th over.
Arshdeep Singh (0/31) conceded just five runs in the 18th over as Titans scored 32 runs in the last two overs.
In a tense end, Gill was dismissed in the penalty over after his captain hit two boundaries off Kagiso Rabada (2/35).
Titans needed 19 off the last over bowled by Smith (0/35) and 12 off the last two balls and Tewatia did the unthinkable.
Earlier, England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, this IPL’s most expensive overseas player, made full use of his lucky reprieve to score his second consecutive half-century to help Punjab Kings post 189 for 9.
Livingstone, who was bought for Rs 11.5 crore, scored 64 off just 27 balls for Punjab Kings after being asked to bat first.
He rebuilt Punjab’s innings by sharing a 52-run partnership for the third wicket with opener Shikhar Dhawan (35).
Livingstone, who had hit 60 off 32 balls against Chennai Super Kings in the previous match, was spared the skin of his teeth in the ninth over, when he was on 14, as Titans captain Hardik Pandya’s foot hit the boundary ropes. Touched while trying to touch. A high catch from spinner Rashid Khan (3/22).
The Englishman took full advantage of the ‘life’ given to him and completed his fifty in 21 balls. In the end, he hit seven fours and four sixes in his fast innings.
The mighty Gujarat Titans’ bowling attack made a brief comeback with debutant Darshan Nalkande (2/37) and veteran Rashid taking wickets in quick succession.
Nalkande dismissed Jitesh Sharma (23) and Odion Smith (0) in successive deliveries in the 14th over, while Chatur Rashid dismissed Livingstone and Shah Rukh Khan (15) in the 16th over in a span of three balls, apart from Dhawan. Took a wicket. East.
Punjab’s team was reduced to 162 for nine after making 153 for 5 in the 16th over, but Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh shared a crucial 27-run partnership for the last wicket to take their team to a strong score.
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Earlier, captain Mayank Agarwal (5) was dismissed cheaply for the third time, while star England batsman Jonny Bairstow’s first match for Punjab Kings went on for eight balls as both fell in the powerplay overs.
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