Gill, Buttler propel Gujarat Titans to 209/4 against Rajasthan Royals
Jaipur, Apr 28 (PTI): Skipper Shubman Gill was epitome of class in his 50-ball-84 that took Gujarat Titans to a healthy 209 for 4 against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL match here on Monday.
The Gujarat Titans skipper scored his fourth half-century with help of five fours and four sixes, adding 93 for the opening stand with an in-form Sai Sudharsan (39 off 30 balls).
The Titans were ready to capitalise on a solid platform laid by the duo and Jos Buttler (50 not out off 26 balls) made a mincemeat of Royals' ordinary bowling attack from thereon, smashing four sixes apart from three boundaries.
Buttler executed reverse pulls and ramps at will while using the pace of deliveries to punish his former team Rajasthan Royals, which is one side that completely messed up their auctions with no match-winning bowler in its ranks.
Gill displayed the cricketing smarts by picking the shorter boundary in one of the leg-side and the RR bowlers were guilty of drifting towards his pads.
There were pick-up pulls -- one over square leg and one over wide of mid-on -- but the flicked maximum off Yudhvir Singh stood out.
There was also a perfect off-drive and his opening partner Sudharsan was more than happy to give his skipper bulk of the strike.
Once Sudharsan was dismissed, the dangerous Buttler piled up further misery with a 24-run over off Wanindu Hasaranga, which included three sixes and a boundary.
Till date, the devoted Rajasthan Royals fans are unable to fathom how Royals failed to retain Buttler.
After that 15th over, Riyan Parag, who has been a complete disaster as a stand-in captain, was clueless as to whom he should look up to for getting breakthroughs. Jofra Archer (1/49) has been good in patches but the main issue has been the two Sri Lankan spinners Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekhsana, who have not delivered on expected lines.
Hasaranga though has been better, Theekshana bowled too many loose balls for his comfort. On the night, the duo gave away 74 runs collectively in eight overs and never looked like troubling GT opening pair.
Gill looked set for his fifth IPL hundred but was holed out in the deep off Theekshana, but Buttler, in company of Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia, took GT past the 200-run mark.
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2 detained after comment over wedding procession to Dalit house sparks clash in UP's Shahjahanpur
Shahjahanpur (UP) (PTI): Two persons have been detained after a clash broke out allegedly over remarks targeting a Dalit family's wedding procession in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, police said on Saturday.
The incident occurred in Lai Kheda village under Tilhar police station area, where a wedding procession from Bareilly had arrived at a Dalit household on April 20.
According to SP Saurabh Dixit, when the procession was near the house of Rajpal Yadav, he allegedly made a remark saying "Now, Dalits will also take out wedding processions riding a buggy", leading to an argument. Yadav's side allegedly turned aggressive, escalating the conflict further.
Police said a scuffle ensued between the two sides. Upon receiving information, police personnel reached the spot and ensured that the procession was conducted peacefully after the incident.
An FIR was registered on Friday against Rajpal Yadav, Sumit, Amit, Surendra, Avdhesh Yadav and five unidentified persons based on a complaint. Rajpal Yadav and his son Sumit have been taken into custody and are being questioned, Dixit said.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
Dixit said preliminary findings suggest that Yadav, too, was hosting a function and processions from both sides had arrived around the same time. A dispute may have initially arisen due to a narrow passage and attempts to move the processions quickly.
Police have registered the case under relevant sections of the BNS and initiated further probe, officials said.
