Capitol Hill

Sudharsan looked flawless throughout his innings and played some breathtaking shots against an undisciplined bowling line-up. Apart from Sudharsan and Saha, the likes of Shubman Gill (39 off 20) and Hardik Pandya (21 off 12) also made vital contributions with the bat.

Rain played spoilsport on Sunday as the highly-anticipated IPL 2023 final was moved to the reserve day on Monday, with both teams now looking to win that coveted trophy. The M.S. Dhoni-led CSK, who were the first team to reach the final, didn't make any change in their playing XI for this all-important game.

Gill slammed a majestic 129 with the help of ten sixes and seven fours while taking Mumbai's bowlers to cleaners all over the park as Gujarat posted 223/3, which is also his third century of the ongoing season, thus leading the side's 62-run win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 and set up a meeting with Chennai Super Kings in Sunday's final.

The win also meant that Gujarat entered the IPL final for the second successive time and will meet Chennai Super Kings in Sunday's title clash at the same venue. Co-incidentally, the first match of IPL 2023 was between Gujarat and Chennai at the very same venue on March 31.

On his way of leaving scores of fans in awe of his belligerent form by picking gaps and finding elevation beautifully, Gill also became the leading run-getter of the competition in the season, which will always be remembered for him. His first 30 balls saw him make 48 runs, before switching gears in thrilling fashion to slam 79 runs in his next 30 balls.

The toss was delayed by 45 runs due to rain, with the game beginning at 2000 hrs IST. The winner of Qualifier 2 will play against four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the final on Sunday, while the side who doesn't win will be knocked out of the competition.

Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch believes the Hardik Pandya-led side is balanced due to many match-winners in their line-up. "GT are a strong team to beat because they have a world-class bowler in Rashid Khan. They have a good captain in Hardik Pandya, who's shown a lot of maturity. Thirdly, their fast bowling attack is also balanced," he was quoted as saying by Star Sports.