How Did Gill and Buttler Lead GT to 224/6 Against SRH?

Ahmedabad, May 2 (NationPress) Shubman Gill (76) and Jos Buttler (64) both secured half-centuries, while Sai Sudharsan added a quickfire 48 runs as the Gujarat Titans set a formidable target of 224/6 in their first innings against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) during Match 51 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.

On the bowling side, Jaydev Unadkat emerged as the standout performer with three wickets.

Gill's innings was characterized by elegance and skill, showcasing his extensive shot repertoire as he reached 76 runs off just 38 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and two sixes. Unfortunately, this marked the third consecutive match where the right-handed opener fell short of a century, having previously scored 90 and 84.

After being invited to bat by SRH, Gill made his intent clear right from the start, hitting Mohammed Shami for a six over deep fine leg on just the third ball.

It was a tough outing for the veteran pacer, as Sudharsan struck him for five boundaries in the third over. Gill continued to dazzle with two exquisite fours through the covers off Pat Cummins, before hitting another six in the same over.

Sudharsan kept the assault going with four boundaries off Harshal Patel, helping the Gujarat Titans achieve their highest power-play score of 82 without losing a wicket in the first six overs.

However, the left-handed opener was deprived of his sixth half-century of the season thanks to a brilliant catch by Heinrich Klaasen behind the stumps. A googly from Zeeshan Ansari led to Sudharsan's attempt to cut it late, resulting in a stunning catch for their first breakthrough.

Despite this, Gill continued to find the boundary, including two off Shami and Kamindu Mendis, while Buttler joined the action with a scoop six off Shami before getting dismissed cheaply. Gill attempted a quick single but fell short while nudging the ball towards Patel at short fine-leg.

Buttler kept the momentum going from one end, while Washington Sundar (21) rotated the strike effectively. Buttler then targeted Zeeshan, scoring 16 runs in an important over, marking his fifth half-century of the season.

Buttler maintained his aggressive approach with a four and a six in the following over off Harshal Patel but was eventually dismissed by Cummins in the second-to-last over. Shahrukh Khan added some firepower with a six off the Australian pacer, while Sundar launched the final over with another six.

Unadkat, who had been wicketless until then, claimed three in the last over by dismissing Sundar, Rahul Tewatia (6), and Rashid Khan (0) in quick succession.

Brief scores:

Gujarat Titans 224/6 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 76, Jos Buttler 64, Sai Sudharsan 48; Jaydev Unadkat 3-35, Pat Cummins 1-40, Zeeshan Ansari 1-42).