Mullanpur, April 21 (UNI) In the crucial 37th match of IPL 2024, left-arm spinner Sai Kishore emerged as the star bowler for Gujarat Titans, claiming four crucial wickets that significantly restricted Punjab Kings to a paltry 142 all out here on Sunday.
Sai Kishore's disciplined bowling helped in breaking the momentum of Punjab's innings and kept the run-scoring in check. Supporting him, Noor Ahmed and Mohit Sharma also made significant contributions with the ball, taking two wickets each. Their combined effort put pressure on Punjab batsmen and ensured that the scoring remained under control.
Additionally, Rashid Khan, known for his crafty leg-spin bowling, chipped in with a wicket, further strengthening Gujarat Titans' bowling attack.
The Punjab opening pair, Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, provided a solid start, adding 52 runs for the first wicket. Prabhsimran played aggressively, scoring a brisk 35 runs off just 21 balls, which included three fours and three sixes. However, their partnership was broken in the sixth over when Mohit Sharma dismissed Prabhsimran.
Following Prabhsimran's departure, Punjab faced a series of setbacks as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.
Riley Rossouw managed to contribute 9 runs, Jitesh Sharma scored 13, Liam Livingston added 6 runs, Shashank Singh scored 8, Ashutosh Sharma made 3 runs, Harpreet Singh scored 14, and Harshal Patel was dismissed without scoring.
Amidst the fall of wickets, Harpreet Brar played a crucial innings, anchoring the innings with a quick-fire 29 runs off just 12 balls. He struck four fours and one six during his stay at the crease.
Despite Harpreet Brar's late flourish, the Punjab Kings batting lineup struggled to build partnerships and accelerate the scoring rate. As a result, they managed to post a total of 142 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Gujarat will now aim to chase down the target of 143 runs to secure a victory in today's IPL match against Punjab. UNI BDN