This match should not have gone so close: Hardik Pandya

Mohali: After winning the IPL match against Punjab Kings on the fifth ball of the last over on Thursday night, Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya said that we have to learn a lot from this match. This match should not have gone so close. Opener Shubman Gill scored his second half-century in IPL 2023 while pacer Mohit Sharma justified his return to the tournament by guiding Gujarat Titans to a six-wicket win against Punjab Kings.

Mohit took two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs as Gujarat restricted Punjab to 153/8. Defending champions Gujarat were headed for a comfortable victory thanks to Gill’s 49-ball 67. Arshdeep Singh conceded only six runs in the 19th over and Gujarat needed seven off the last over. Gill avoided being run out and Sam Karan uprooted Gill’s off stump on the next ball. Suddenly there was excitement in the match.

Karan then bowled two consecutive yorkers. David Miller completed the second run by diving. Gujarat needed four runs from the last two balls. Rahul Tewatia fired the fifth ball over short fine leg for a boundary to give Gujarat the win with one ball to spare. Pandya said at the presentation ceremony after the match, “We can take more risks in the middle overs. The wicket was good and hard, it was easy to bat with the new ball as the ball was coming on to the bat easily. If we had lost this match, it would have been difficult ahead for us. So we will talk about it after the match. I am not a fan of taking the match till the last over.

It was Gujarat’s third win of the season and moved up to third in the table, while it was Punjab’s second loss in the tournament. Player of the match Mohit Sharma was the net bowler for Gujarat last season. Pandya said that Mohit and Alzarri Joseph bowled very well. Mohit was a net bowler last season and he waited for his opportunity as he knew his time would come.