Rashid spoils Chennai game, Gujarat Titans win by five wickets

Ahmedabad (Uttam Hindu News): After sharp bowling (two wickets for 26 runs), Rashid Khan snatched the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from the jaws of Chennai Super Kings by hitting fours and sixes in two consecutive balls in the crucial moments of the match. Winners Gujarat Titans win by five wickets.

Chasing Chennai Super Kings’ 179-run victory target at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Gujarat Titans were in a state of struggle after losing five crucial wickets for 156 runs at one stage, but Rashid, as the new batsman, dismissed strike bowler Deepak Chahar in the 19th over. Hitting two consecutive balls for a four and a six, turned the match towards the Titans, while Rahul Tewatia at the other end completed the last over by hitting a four and a six, and the Titans won the match with four balls to spare.

Thanks to the contribution of Wriddhiman Saha (25) and Sai Sudarshan (22) apart from an excellent half-century from Shubman Gill (63), Gujarat were in a comfortable position at 90 for two at one stage, but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s deft bowlers. With the change, the match had reached an exciting stage by the end of the 18th over. Rajwardhan Hangargkar (3/36) created a stir in the opposition camp but could not save the defeat.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings elected to bat first after losing the toss. Thanks to the stormy performance of all-rounder opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (92), Chennai scored 178 runs for seven wickets. Ruturaj scored 92 runs in his 50-ball innings with the help of four fours and nine sixes, but in the 18th over of the innings, he was caught by Shubman Gill, standing at long-on, while trying to hit Alzarri Joseph’s yorker.

Apart from Ruturaj, Moil Ali (23) got off to a brisk start but was soon dismissed. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni tried to collect runs in the last two overs and scored 14 runs in just seven balls with a four and a six, due to which Chennai managed to score 178 runs.

Defending champions Gujarat’s bowlers bowled the right line and length, due to which the Chennai batsmen had to face difficulty in increasing the run rate. Apart from Mohammed Shami and Alzarri Joseph, the experienced Rashid Khan kept the batsmen in check. Two wickets came in the account of all the three bowlers.