GT vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2023: 3 moments that generated a buzz among fans in Match 13
The 13th match of IPL 2023 lived up to its billing, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) humbling the defending champions, Gujarat Titans, in a thrilling contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, April 9.
Batting first, the Titans posted 204/4, thanks to a 21-ball fifty from Vijay Shankar, who came into the playing XI in place of Hardik Pandya, who was unwell. The all-rounder hammered four boundaries and five sixes to script his best knock in the cash-rich league as GT scored 51 runs off the last 15 balls of the innings.
In response, KKR looked on course for a win at the halfway mark with Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana at the creas. However, a hat-trick from Rashid Khan in the 17th over put the home side back in control of the contest.
The equation boiled down to 29 runs in the last over, with Rinku Singh the only batter out in the middle. The southpaw, who has been part of the Knight Riders for quite some time now but has lacked opportunities, smoked five sixes on the trot to pull off one of the greatest heists in the history of the competition.
A lot of exciting stuff took place during the nerve-wreaking contest on Sunday afternoon. Here's a look at three instances that created a buzz during the GT vs KKR tie:
#1 Suyash Sharma's googly to clean up Abhinav Manohar
The young KKR leg-spinner from Delhi built on his reputation with another tidy spell against GT on Sunday, finishing with figures of 1/35.
The 19-year-old produced a stunning delivery to clean up Gujarat Titans batter Abhinav Manohar that will be etched in the memory of fans for a very, very long time.
It was a dream delivery for any leg-spinner as it pitched right around the off-stump and came back into the batter, leaving him completely shocked. The ball cut the batter into half, crashing into the stumps through the bat and pad.
#2 Rashid Khan's hat-trick
The moment when you grab your first hattrick of your IPL career ❤️
📸: JioCinema
#GTvsKKR #IPL2023 #CricketTwitter https://t.co/2sHZPCS5Wf
Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan is arguably the best spinner in the business, particularly in the shortest format of the game. He once again proved why he is so highly rated with an excellent hat-trick in the 17th over.
Rashid dismissed Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shardul Thakur off the first three deliveries to complete his maiden IPL hat-trick.
It helped the Titans crawl back into the game momentarily before Rinku's moment of brilliance took the game away from the hosts.
#3 Rinku Singh's five sixes in an over
Rinku Singh didn’t disappoint @iamsrk and his team 🔥
📸: KKR
#GTvsKKR #IPL2023 #CricketTwitter https://t.co/WvVBdaRfwC
Despite boasting an excellent record in domestic cricket, Rinku never found his feet in the IPL before Sunday. The lack of game time was also one of the biggest factors behind his dismal form.
However, with Chandrakant Pandit at the helm, Rinku has been assured of a place in the playing XI and it has already started to reap results. He played a match-winning knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) before another cracking innings today.
With 29 runs needed off the last six deliveries, the southpaw smacked five sixes off the final five balls to seal the deal for KKR.