Ahmedabad, May 2: Shubman Gill (76) and Jos Buttler (64) scored half-centuries while Sai Sudharsan contributed a 48-run blitz as Gujarat Titans scored 224/6 in the first innings against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 51 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Friday.

For the bowling side, Jaydev Unadkat was the highest wicket-taker with three scalps to his name.

Gill’s innings was one of flair and class. The Indian top-order batter showed his deep arsenal of shot selection, finding the gap and rushing to 76 off just 38 deliveries with 10 boundaries and two sixes to his name. It is the third innings in a row when the right-handed opener failed to reach the century milestone after having looked set for a big score, with scores of 90 and 84 in their last two games.

After being put to bat first by SRH, Gill let his intentions be known from the get-go when he flicked Mohammed Shami over the fielder at deep fine leg for six off the third delivery.

It certainly was not the best of days for the veteran Indian pacer as Sudharsan struck him for five boundaries in the third over. Gill continued the fireworks by hitting two brilliantly struck fours through the covers off Pat Cummins before hitting his second maximum of the night in the same over.

Sudharsan continued the rampage by hitting four boundaries off Harshal Patel as the duo raised Gujarat Titans’ highest score in the power-play by smashing 82 for no loss in the opening six overs.

However, the left-handed opener was denied his sixth half-century of the season courtesy of a great catch by Heinrich Klassen behind the stumps. A googly outside the off-stump by Zeeshan Ansari saw Sudharsan attempt to cut it late, but a reactive Klassen took the catch to earn their first breakthrough.

Gill continued to carve boundaries, which included two boundaries each off Shami and Kamindu Mendis, with Buttler joining the proceedings with a scoop six off the former before the skipper was dismissed cheaply. A nudge towards Patel at short fine-leg saw Gill try and steal a quick single but was left just short of the crease.

With Buttler keeping the scoreboard ticking from one end, Washington Sundar (21) continued to rotate the strike before the latter took on Zeeshan and conjured an important 16-run over in the 17th, which also raised the English wicket-keeper batter’s fifth half-century of the season.

He continued his heavy hitting with a four and six in the next over off Harshal Patel before being dismissed by Cummins in the penultimate over. Shahrukh Khan added a little bit of firepower with a six off the Aussie before Sundar started the final over with another maximum.

Unadkat, who had not picked a scalp on the night, took three in the final over by dismissing Sundar, Rahul Tewatia (6), and Rashid Khan (0) in quick succession in the ultimate over.

Brief scores:

Gujarat Titans 224/6 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 76, Jos Buttler 64, Sai Sudharsan 48; Jaydev Unadkat 3-35, Pat Cummins 1-40, Zeeshan Ansari 1-42).

--IANS

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