NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Shubman Gill smashed an incendiary 129 off 60 balls to send Gujarat Titans into the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following their 62-run victory against Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad yesterday.
The opener smashed 10 sixes and seven fours in his breathtaking knock to help champions Gujarat rack up 233-3 after being put into bat at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Five-time champions Mumbai were all out for 171 in reply with Mohit Sharma, who claimed five for 10, being the wrecker-in-chief.
Gujarat, who won the IPL title in their debut season last year, will meet four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in tomorrow’s final at the same venue.
Drizzle in Ahmedabad delayed the start of the game but once action began, it started raining sixes with Gill in the thick of things.
The opener smashed his third T20 hundred in four innings, also the highest individual score this season, to overtake Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis as the tournament’s leading scorer.
Gill was on 30 when Tim David floored a difficult catch at mid-on and by the time the Australian eventually caught him in the 17th over, Gujarat were on the brink of the 200-mark.
Sai Sudarshan made a breezy 43 and skipper Hardik Pandya scored 28 not out but the day belonged to Gill.
Mohammed Shami rattled Mumbai early by removing both the openers while Cameron Green retired hurt in between after being hit on the forearm by a Pandya delivery.
To make it worse for Mumbai, stumper-batsman Ishan Kishan had to be substituted having suffered concussion after being accidentally hit in the face by team mate Chris Jordan’s elbow.
Tilak Varma (43) plundered 24 runs from a Shami over before Rashid Khan ended his 13-ball blitz to bring relief to the Gujarat camp.
Green returned to make 30 but it was Suryakumar Yadav’s quickfire 61 that briefly rekindled Mumbai’s hopes in the contest.
Mohit then ran through the batting lineup of IPL’s most successful team and Mumbai were eventually bowled out in 18.2 overs.