Start batter Shubman Gill scored his second consecutive hundred in the season as Virat Kohli’s ton went in vain and the defending Champions Gujarat Titans (GT) knocked Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) out of IPL 2023 with a 6-wicket win in the last league match of the season at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. GT’s win also confirmed the playoff spot for Mumbai Indians.
Batting first, RCB posted a total of 197 for the loss of 5 wickets, powered by the seventh IPL ton by Virat Kohli. In reply, Gill also smashed a hundred as GT chased the winning total in 19.1 overs.
RCB got a flying start as Kohli and the skipper Faf Du Plessis added 67 runs for the first 7.1 overs. Du Plessis got out after scoring 28 runs off 19 balls, hitting five boundaries. In the next over, Glenn Maxwell lost his wicket to Rashid Khan after scoring 11 off 5 with a four and a six. After that, Mahipal Lomror went back to the pavilion with just 1 run to his name.
After that, Kohli and Michael Bracewell took the innings further as they put up a partnership of 47 runs for the fourth wicket. Bracewell got out on the last balls of the 14th over after scoring 26 runs in 16 balls with five boundaries. A couple of deliveries later, Dinesh Karthik also went back to the pavilion for a golden duck.
After his dismissal, Kohli and Anuj Rawat put up an unbeaten partnership of 64 runs for the sixth wicket. Kohli completed his century on the first ball of the 19th over by Mohit Sharma after facing 60 deliveries. The RCB opener remained unbeaten on 101 off 61 balls hitting 13 fours and a maximum, while Rawat added the finishing touches by scoring 23 off 15 balls as RCB crossed 190 runs. For GT, Noor Ahmed took 2 wickets, while Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal and Rashid Khan shared a wicket each.
Gill and Shankar's partnership took the game away from RCB
Chasing the winning total, GT lost their first wicket in the form of Wriddhiman Saha at the score of 25 runs after three overs. After that, Gill and Vijay Shankar put up a partnership of 123 runs for the second wicket, Shankar got out after scoring 53 runs off 35 balls hitting seven fours and two sixes.
After that, Gill took the innings further as wickets kept falling from the other end. The 23-year-old smashed a six in the first ball of the 20th over to complete his century and also take his team down the line as GT won the game by losing 4 wickets with five balls to spare. Gill remained unbeaten on 104 runs off 52 balls with five four and eight sixes. For RCB, Mohammed Siraj took 2 wickets, while Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Harshal Patel took one each.
Here is how fans reacted
BACK TO BACK IPL CENTURY FOR SHUBMAN GILL.
— 🚩नागवंशी विवेक🚩(सनातनी)🚩 (@nagwansivivek1) May 21, 2023
One heck of a knock by Shubman tonight. The ball striking was second to none, unbelievable stuff by Gill. Take a bow, man! pic.twitter.com/stgk4p5HKM
Kohli from inside belike pic.twitter.com/5q0OMRQxp5
— Jack_parody (@sar6sm) May 21, 2023
Cup next year 😭 pic.twitter.com/blzggRNNOp
— 🤲🤲🤲 (@SafirHussain19) May 21, 2023
Ess saal cup nhi pic.twitter.com/ik1ZfUPACi
— Sonu rai 🇮🇳 (@Sonurai89662951) May 21, 2023
Sachin arrange marriage of Shubhman and Sara 🛐 pic.twitter.com/HqG5h4zEr1
— Anubhav K😈🇮🇳 (@Anubhav_Memerz) May 21, 2023
Kohli gives it all for RCB but RCB bowling as always doomed his extraordinary batting efforts pic.twitter.com/hfpNijhXmX
— Sarcastic Cowboy (@SarcasticCowboy) May 21, 2023
Kohli to Gill 😁 pic.twitter.com/G6fuw22hjW
— Bhupender Thakur (@MisterBeeTee) May 21, 2023
Rou ya kush hou ? pic.twitter.com/inmdqrTLNS
— Kushal Yadav (@Its_KYtweets) May 21, 2023
Love from Mumbai :))) pic.twitter.com/GTNorEJF1D
— Ujwal Puri // ompsyram.eth 🦉 (@ompsyram) May 21, 2023