Capitol Hill

But Gujarat's bowlers, led by Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, who picked two wickets each along with experienced Shami, produced top-notch bowling on a slow pitch with relentless accuracy to defend 135 and help the reigning champions pull off a miraculous seven-run victory in Match No 30 of the IPL 2023 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, here on Saturday.

On a slow pitch where spinners and slower deliveries from the fast bowlers ruled the roost, Gujarat's batters found it difficult to find their timing, barring captain Hardik Pandya's 66 off 50 balls and Wriddhiman Saha hitting 47 off 37 balls. Such was the difficulty in stroke play that Hardik was the only batter from Gujarat to hit all of their sixes in their innings.

With seven runs needed off the final over, the big-hitting West Indies batter said he was focused on taking two runs on the very first ball to see what happens next. It exactly happened the same way as Hetmyer got to his fifty in 25 balls and finished off the chase by pulling Ahmad over deep mid-wicket for six.

From there, captain Sanju Samson took 20 runs off Rashid Khan in the 13th over to eventually make 60 while Shimron Hetmyer smashed a whirlwind unbeaten 56 off just 26 balls to give Rajasthan an improbable three-wicket victory in 23rd match of the IPL 2023, here on Sunday.

Apart from Miller, Gujarat were also aided by 45 from Shubman Gill, 28 from Hardik Pandya and 27 from Abhinav Manohar at the back end of the innings. For Rajasthan, pacer Sandeep Sharma was pick of bowlers with 2/25, while Zampa, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult took a wicket each.

Sunday's game is also a re-match of last year's final, where Gujarat emerged triumphant over Rajasthan to get their first IPL trophy. While Gujarat enter the match on the back of a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in Mohali, Rajasthan arrive after beating Chennai Super Kings by three runs at Chepauk.

The second match of the doubleheader on Sunday will be a repeat of the IPL 2022 final where Hardik Pandya's Titans came out victorious in the grand finale. Sanju Samson's Royals will be looking to settle the score this time around and add another chapter to their rivalry.

In the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, the over rate has proved to be a huge issue with a lot of matches running for almost four hours. "As it was his team's first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr. Pandya was fined Rs. 12 lakh," said a statement from the tournament.

Opener Shubman Gill notched up his second half-century of IPL 2023 while fast bowler Mohit Sharma marked his comeback in the tournament with a stellar spell to lead the way for Gujarat Titans to beat Punjab Kings by six wickets at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Thursday.

After pacer Mohit Sharma made a stellar comeback to the tournament with 2-18 and led a clinical bowling performance from Gujarat in restricting Punjab to 153/8, the defending champions were on course for a comfortable chase, thanks to Gill's serene 67 off 49 balls, laced with seven fours and a six.