Shubman Gill's maiden IPL ton lifts GT to 188/9, Bhuvneshwar takes 5/30
Ahmedabad, May 15: Shubman Gill hit his maiden IPL century to single-handedly power defending champions Gujarat Titans to 188 for nine despite a late comeback by Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/30) here on Monday.
Gill slammed 101 off just 58 balls with the help of 13 fours and one six, and added 147 runs for the second wicket with Sai Sudharsan (47 off 36 balls).
Towards the end, SRH rode on Bhuvneshwar's brilliant bowling to restrict GT under 200.
Sent into bat, GT suffered an early blow as they lost Wriddhiman Saha for a duck in the third ball of the innings, nicking one to Abhishek Sharma at second slip.
After a sedate start, GT broke the shackles in the third over with Gill and Sai Sudharsan hitting Bhuvneshwar for three exquisite boundaries to pick up 15 runs.
Having found his touch, the in-form Gill pulled, drove and flicked to collect four consecutive boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Both Sudharsan and Gill then dealt in boundaries to take GT to 65 for one in six overs.
Gill, in particular, was at his attacking best as he continued his onslaught and pulled SRH skipper Aiden Markram for for two consecutive fours in the seventh over and then struck Markande for two more boundaries in the next over.
At the end of the 10th over, GT were 103 for one.
It was mayhem thereafter with Gill and Sudharsan going hammer and tongs to maintain a healthy run rate of over 10 till 14 overs.
Sudharsan finally departed in the 15th over, caught by T Natarajan at backward point off the bowling of Marco Jansen.
GT skipper Hardik Pandya didn't last long, giving a straightforward catch to Rahu Tripathi at point, handing Bhuvneshwar his second scalp of the day.
David Miller perished in the next over while attempting a big hit. Rahul Tewatia was the next to depart as SRH picked up four wickets in four overs.
Gill, however, went about his business and brought up his century in 56 balls with a single to long-off in the 19th over. But soon after raising his ton, Gill perished in the opening ball of the final over, caught by Abdul Samad off Bhuvneshwar.
Rashid Khan got a thick edge in the next ball and Noor Ahmad also departed during an excellent final over by Bhuvneshwar.
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Rahul's exhilarating 152 powers DC to 264/2
New Delhi (PTI): KL Rahul blended grace with power to script a stroke-filled 152, the third-highest individual IPL score, while Nitish Rana (91) batted with authority as the duo powered hosts Delhi Capitals to a mammoth 264 for 2 against Punjab Kings here on Saturday.
Setting a target for the first time this season, the Capitals came out with clear intent, attacking anything in their arc from the outset.
The home team hit a total of 29 fours and 13 sixes to put on board the highest total of the 2026 IPL season.
Striking at over 200 throughout the 20 overs, Rahul (152 off 67 balls) unfurled a range of classical strokes all around the ground, seamlessly combining timing with aggression to put up the highest-score ever by an Indian in the IPL.
With the knock, he also became only the third player to go beyond 150-run mark after Chris Gayle (175) and Brendon McCullum (158).
Dropped on 18 by Shashank Singh, he made full use of the reprieve, forging a 220-run stand with local boy Rana for the second wicket. It was second biggest stand in IPL history behind 229 set by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Rana looked completely at ease on his home ground. His 44-ball knock, laced with 11 fours and 4 sixes, provided the perfect foil as the duo kept the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.
Rahul set the tone early, striking back-to-back boundaries in the second over before Pathum Nissanka chipped in with a crisp four.
Although Punjab struck an early blow with Nissanka top-edging to the keeper, their bowlers found little respite thereafter. They were also guilty of a few misfields, which only added to their woes.
Rahul and Rana seized control, punishing anything loose and propelling Delhi to 68 for one, DC's best powerplay score of the season before plundering 145 runs in the middle overs.
Rana then shifted gears in spectacular fashion, taking apart Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett in the 12th over for 28 runs.
The left-hander dealt exclusively in boundaries, smashing two sixes and four fours in a sequence of 6,4,4,4,4,6.
At the other end, Rahul was equally ruthless, taking a liking to Vijaykumar Vyshak in the 16th over, from which he plundered three sixes and a four, as Delhi tightened their grip on the contest.
