Cricket

IPL 2023: David Miller’s 46 propels Gujarat Titans to 177/7 against Rajasthan Royals

David Miller was dropped on six on his seventh ball as Adam Zampa made a mess of a regulation caught and bowled chance and he capitalised on it and went on to top-score with 46 off 30 balls and propelled Gujarat Titans to a competitive 177/7 against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL 2023 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Sunday.

Apart from Miller, Gujarat were also aided by 45 from Shubman Gill, 28 from Hardik Pandya and 27 from Abhinav Manohar at the back end of the innings. For Rajasthan, pacer Sandeep Sharma was pick of bowlers with 2/25, while Zampa, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult took a wicket each.

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Pushed into batting first, Gujarat weren’t allowed to break free by Rajasthan’s bowlers. Wriddhiman Saha gave a fat top-edge on a hoick and with wicketkeeper as well as two fielders converging, Trent Boult took a catch on rebound off keeper’s gloves. Sai Sudharsan struck two fours, before being run out for 20.

Gill used his feet well in getting close to the pitch of the ball for sweeping and lofting off Ravichandran Ashwin for back-to-back fours. Hardik, promoting himself to number four, immediately attacked Zampa by standing tall and swinging down the ground for a four and six respectively.

Ashwin came under more attack as Gill continued to use his feet to loft over extra cover for four and over long-on for six, while Hardik got an outside edge running past short third man for four as 17 runs came off the off-spinner’s second over. Hardik then brought fifty of his partnership with Gill through a powerful pull off Boult for four.

But Chahal broke the 59-run partnership by having Hardik go for a cross-bat heave, but the ball spun away to take a top-edge to extra cover. Five overs later, Gill holed out to long-on off Sandeep. Miller was put down by Zampa in a caught and bowled chance when on six, and went on to smack Chahal for a brace of sixes in the leg-side.

Manohar hit Boult for back-to-back sixes in the 18th over � a pull over long-on was followed by pummeling over long-off. In the next over, Miller pulled Zampa for four, before Manohar launched the leg-spinner high over long-on for six.

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But Zampa had the last laugh by having Manohar slicing to point. Miller cracked consecutive fours on wide yorkers from Sandeep through the off-side in the final over. But the pacer bounced back as Miller sliced a high full toss to deep cover, with 11 runs coming off the final over.