Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by six wickets in a high-scoring IPL encounter on April 13, 2023. Shikhar Dhawan continued his rich vein of form as he smashed a brilliant unbeaten century (111* off 62 balls) to guide his team to victory. The Gujarat openers, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, got their side off to a blistering start, scoring 70 in the powerplay without losing a wicket. Gill continued his excellent form against Punjab, smashing 54 off 32 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Hardik Pandya, returning to the side after illness, provided valuable support to Sai Sudharsan, who cracked 41 runs off 21 deliveries. Rahul Tewatia added some late fireworks with an unbeaten 20 from six balls. For Punjab Kings, Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis picked up two wickets each, while Rabada went wicketless on his much-anticipated comeback. In response to Gujarat’s total, Punjab Kings got off to a sedate start, with Prabhsimran Singh getting out cheaply once again. However, Shikhar Dhawan ensured that Punjab Kings kept pace with the required run rate, hammering his second consecutive century in the IPL. He hit 111* off 62 balls, decorated with 13 fours and three sixes. Liam Livingstone smashed 47 runs off just 19 deliveries at a strike rate of 247.37, including five sixes and two fours. Sikandar Raza, who replaced Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the playing XI, chipped in with an unbeaten 19 off just 11 balls as Punjab Kings romped home with four balls to spare. Gujarat Titans’ bowlers had a night to forget as they leaked runs at an alarming rate. Rashid Khan picked up two wickets but was expensive, going for 47 runs in his four overs. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers for Punjab Kings, picking up 2-31 in his four overs. The result takes Punjab Kings to the top of the IPL points table, with two wins and a loss from their first three matches. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans suffered their second defeat of the season and sits in fourth place with two wins and two defeats. Punjab Kings made a couple of changes to their playing XI, with Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada replacing Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Nathan Ellis. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, brought back Hardik Pandya in place of Joshua Little. The match was played at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. The pitch was flat, and the bowlers had to acquire all the tricks in their bag to get wickets. It was a high-scoring encounter, with both teams putting up big totals on the board.
