IPL 2022, GT vs PBKS: Dhawan, Rabada Steer Punjab To Comfortable Win Over Gujarat
Dhawan-Rajapaksa struck a fifty-run partnership in just 31 balls and Shikhar Dhawan too notch up his half-century off 38 balls.
New Delhi: Shikhar Dhawan's unbeaten 62 off 53 balls and Kagiso Rabada's four-for guided Punjab Kings to a comprehensive eight-wicket win against Gujarat Titans at the Dr DY Patil Stadium here on Tuesday. Punjab Kings comfortably chased the target of 144 with four overs to spare.
Chasing the moderate target, Punjab Kings lost the opener Jonny Bairstow for 1 in the third over. The first wicket was lost with only 10 on board. Bhanuka Rajapaksa then joined in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan and the duo forged a partnership to take the team's total beyond the 50-run mark in 6.2 overs. Dhawan-Rajapaksa struck a fifty-run partnership in just 31 balls and Shikhar Dhawan too notch up his half-century off 38 balls. The southpaw allowed Rajapaksa to hit boundaries and sixes keeping one end tight.
The 87-run partnership was finally broken Lockie Ferguson dismissed Rajapaksa for 40 off 28 balls to reduce PBKS to 97/2. It took Punjab Kings only 12.1 overs to reach the triple-figure mark. Liam Livingstone joined Dhawan and wreaked havoc with the bat scoring a 10-ball 30 with help of two fours and three sixes.
Dhawan remained unbeaten on 62 hitting eight fours and one six in the chase that lasted 16 overs.
Earlier in the day opting to bat first after winning the toss table-toppers Gujarat Titans did not get a great start losing in-form opener Shubman Gill for 9 as he was runout by Rishi Dhawan for 9 as Gujarat Titans lost their opening wicket for 17 in the third over.
In the next over Gujarat were dealt with another blow as Kagiso Rabada got the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha for 21 off 17 balls to leave his team in a spot of bother at 35/2. Captain Hardik Pandya walked in to bat but he failed to deliver getting out cheaply for 1 to medium-pacer Rishi Dhawan to leave Gujarat Titans tottering at 44/3.
B Sai Sudharshan was joined by David Miller and the duo took the team beyond the 50-run mark in 8 overs. But the 23-run partnership was broken as Liam Livingstone got the dangerman Miller out for 11 to reduce GT to 67/4.
Gujarat Titans desperately needed a partnership and Sudharshan along with Rahul Tewatia did exactly that the duo took the team's total beyond the triple-figure mark in 15.2 overs as Sudharshan played the role of the aggressor.
Sai Sudharshan notched up his half-century in 42 balls as he was the only batter who was able to perform with the bat. Rabada struck again to break the 45-run partnership dismissing Tewatia for 11 and in the next ball he cleaned up Rashid Khan to a golden to put Gujarat in trouble at 112/6.
In the next over Arshdeep Singh struck cleaning up Pradeep Sangwan for 2 as GT lost their seventh wicket for 122. In the next over Rabada took his wickets tally to four wickets in the match dismissing Lockie Ferguson for 5 to restrict Gujarat Titans to 143/8 in 20 overs as Sudharshan remained unbeaten on 64 off 50 balls.
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