RCB vs GT: Who won yesterday's match in IPL 2023?
Gujarat Titans (GT) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six wickets in yesterday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The loss knocked RCB out of the tournament, as Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched the fourth playoff berth.
The game witnessed two high-quality hundreds, as both Virat Kohli (101* off 61) and Shubman Gill (104* off 52) registered back-to-back tons. However, the latter had the final say, guiding his side to a clinical victory in a chase of 198.
After Kohli’s record seventh IPL ton had lifted RCB to 197-5, Bangalore got off to an impressive start with the ball. Wayne Parnell pulled off a one-handed stunner at extra cover to send back Wriddhiman Saha (12) off Mohammed Siraj.
Gill and “Impact Player” Vijay Shankar (53 off 35), though, firmly put GT in control of proceedings, adding 123 runs for the second wicket. The duo took on Parnell in the last over of the powerplay, smacking him for two fours and a six.
After easing past his half-century, Gill hammered Michael Bracewell for two sixes in the 13th over. Shankar then went after Vijaykumar Vyshak and slapped him for two fours and a six, bringing up his fifty in the process. He, however, perished in the same over, looking for another big hit.
RCB continued their fightback as Harshal Patel’s change of pace forced a mistimed big hit off Dasun Shanaka’s (0) bat. David Miller (6) was then caught at deep point off Siraj.
Gill, though, stayed on till the end and took Gujarat over the line with five deliveries to spare. He launched Parnell for a maximum over long-on to send the Chinnaswamy crowd into stunned silence.
Kohli ton lifts RCB to 197-5
Sent into bat after losing the toss, Bangalore posted 197-5 - Kohli contributing 101 of them. After an expected rain delay, RCB got off to a whirlwind start. Faf du Plessis hammered Mohammed Shami for four fours in the third over. Kohli then went after Yash Dayal and smacked him for three consecutive fours.
The opening stand worth 67 ended at the start of the eighth over as Du Plessis (28 off 19) was caught at slip as he tried to go after Noor Ahmad - the ball deflecting off the keeper’s knee. Glenn Maxwell came in and tonked a six and a four but was castled for 11 by a Rashid Khan googly. Bangalore were three down for 85 when Mahipal Lomror (1) was stumped down leg off Ahmad’s bowling.
Kohli and Bracewell (26 off 16) added 47 for the fourth wicket to give the innings some much-needed impetus. The stand ended when Bracewell top-edged a full-toss of Shami and was caught by the bowler. Dinesh Karthik’s poor campaign finished on a forgettable note as he gloved a short ball down leg from Dayal to the keeper to register a golden duck.
Kohli played some of his trademark strokes and reached another sublime hundred at the start of the last over, with a single off pacer Mohit Sharma’s bowling. Anuj Rawat (23* off 15) put the finish touches to the innings with a six and a four.
RCB vs GT: Who won Player of the Match in yesterday's IPL 2023 match?
Kohli scored a brilliant hundred and Gill matched it in terms of quality. Neither effort deserved to end up on the losing side.
Ahmad’s 2-39 and Shankar’s fifty were crucial in GT’s win. For RCB, Siraj again stood out with the ball, claiming 2-32. Gill was named the Player of the Match for his stupendous hundred.