Gujarat Titans brushed aside Mumbai Indians to set up an Indian Premier League final against Chennai Super Kings.
The final is on Sunday, live on Sky, when Gujarat will try to retain the title in their stronghold of the Narendra Modi Stadium, while Chennai will try to equal Mumbai’s record five titles.
Shubman Gill smashed a masterful third IPL century and fast bowler Mohit Sharma took 5-10 as Gujarat won by 62 runs with 10 balls to spare.
Gujarat made it 233-3 after opener Gill hit 10 sixes and seven fours on an impressive 129 from 60 balls. Mumbai were all out for 171 after Mohit Sharma took four wickets on nine balls and finished the game with his fifth.
Gill wowed more than 75,000 spectators with powerful shots, sweeping shots, pulling shots and quick moves. He was at 30 when Tim David missed a tough catch midway through, Cameron Green then missed another chance when he couldn’t hang on to a tough return catch.
Gill completed his half century on 32 balls. He hit three sixes off fast bowler Akash Madhwal, who came back from 5-5 in his last game to knock out Lucknow Super Giants, but finished 1-56 here.
“The end [in which] I hit three sixes where I felt like it was my day,” Gill said. “I wanted to maximize the score. Believing is more important. [It] helps when you come from a good international season. This is my best entry so far in the IPL.”
The hundred was reached on 49 balls as Gill dominated a 138-run second wicket stand with Sai Sudharsan (43). Gill took his run tally to an IPL-leading 851 before holed out David in the 17th.
Mumbai’s chase was quickly hampered when Mohammed Shami (2-41) dismissed impact player Nehal Wadhera and captain Rohit Sharma in his first two overs.
Green hit three sixes and five bounds in his 43 and kept Mumbai ahead in run rate at halfway through the stage. But after Suryakumar Yadav was bowled by Sharma for 61 for 38 balls, Mumbai’s collapse was swift, with their last seven wickets coming in for 47 runs.
“We lost our way,” Sharma said. “We have to give Shubman credit [and] I hope it continues that way.”
