LUCKNOW, Apr 12: Skipper Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler backed up Prasidh Krishna’s excellent four-wicket burst with flamboyant half-centuries, guiding Gujarat Titans to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Prasidh shone bright with figures of 4 for 24 as GT restricted LSG to 164 for eight and then the visitors rode on Gill (56) and Buttler (60) to chase down the target with eight balls to spare. The Titans made 165 for three.
GT started brightly with Gill and Sai Sudharsan stitching 45 runs off 31 balls before the latter was dismissed by Digvesh Rathi, caught by Avesh Khan at fine leg.
Buttler grabbed with both hands the life offered to him by LSG skipper Rishabh Pant. The Englishman was dropped by the wicketkeeper off Rathi in the eighth over.
Thereafter, it was Gill and Buttler show, as the duo dismantled the LSG attack with brute force.
The duo shared 85 runs for the second wicket off just 58 balls and took the attack to the opposition bowlers.
While Gill made 56 off 40 balls and decorated his knock with six fours and one six, Buttler returned to form with an equally well-executed fifty.
But after doing all the hard work, Gill gloved a Prince Yadav bouncer to Pant while trying to pull the bowler.
It was double blow for GT as Buttler departed an over later while trying to hit a slower delivery from Mohammed Shami out of the park, brilliantly caught by Aiden Markram at long-on boundary.
But Washington Sundar (21 not out) and Rahul Tewatia (10 not out) anchored GT home from there.
Earlier sent into bat, Markram made 30 off 21 balls, but Mitchell Marsh (11), Pant (18) and Ayush Badoni (9) failed to live up to the expectations.
Markram started on a bright note, finding the fence at will from the word go and decorated his innings with five boundaries and one six.
Marsh also started brightly, welcoming Kagiso Rabada with a six and boundary before falling in the next ball in search of one too many big hits — caught by GT skipper Gill at mid-off.
New man in Pant started his knock with a boundary through mid-off.
Markram, though, continued his attacking game finding the fence at will, LSG were dealt a body blow when Pant was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj in the fifth over as the left-hander scooped a catch to Tewatia at midd-off in search of a big shot.
Markram smashed Prasidh for back-to-back boundaries in the seventh over before the bowler had the last laugh as the South African’s short arm jab was pounced by Washington Sundar at cow corner.
Badoni too perished early as his miscued pull off Prasidh found out Glenn Phillips at deep midwicket.
Nicholas Pooran (19 off 21) was unusually slow although he hit two consecutive sixes off Rashid Khan in the 14th over.
Abdul Samad (18 off 22) too struggled during his knock, while last match hero Mukul Choudhary (18 off 14) too failed.
George Linde (16 off 10) played a good but short hand.
Besides Prasidh, Ashok Sharma (2/32), Siraj (1/19) and Rabada (1/54) were the other wicket-takers for the Gujarat side.
BRIEF SCORES:
Lucknow Super Giants: 164 for 8 in 20 overs (A Markram 30; Prasidh Krishna 4/28, Ashok Sharma 2/32). Gujarat Titans: 165/3 in 18.5 overs( S Gill 56, J Buttler 60; Prince yadav 1/31).
PTI
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