POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Apr 18, 2022 : The collection in Chennai was not bad. 189 — Fighting score. But when the Gujarat Titans lost 3 wickets for 16 runs to chase that run, the collection seemed too big. I would have stopped here. After losing 3 wickets for 18 runs, they do not have 4 wickets for 48 runs. There is no other batsman to be run out. Victory is supposed to be far away. But David Miller didn’t think so. He played his own game even in the midst of a team disaster. Called ‘Killer’ Miller, he proved his mettle by playing a great innings of 94 off 51 balls. Rashid Khan also played a match-winning innings with him. Together, the two made Gujarat almost impossible and brought a great victory of 3 wickets.
Miller’s bat was the killer. In T20 cricket, the way he killed his opponent, he did it today. He didn’t have the team’s catastrophe in mind, he played his own game. Chennai Super Kings did not find the bowlers. The number of his boundaries will be clear. He hit 6 sixes and 6 boundaries. The strike rate was 164.34. Rashid Khan made 40 off 21 balls. His strike rate, however, is even higher at ৯ 1,190.48. The number of sixes is more than the boundary of the Afghan star. Besides 2 boundaries, he hit 3 sixes. Miller and Rashid Khan put on 60 runs off 36 balls for the sixth wicket.
Chennai lost the toss and elected to bat. Robin Uthappa, who did well in the previous match, returned early. The return of Uthappa to Mohammad Shamir was a big blow for Chennai. Moin Ali also got out quickly. Chennai lost 2 wickets for 32 runs and fell into a lot of danger. But Ruturaj Gaikwad is on fire at the right time today. He scored 63 runs from 46 balls. Ruturaj hit five boundaries and sixes. Ruturaj made 92 off 56 balls for the third wicket with Ambati Raidu. This pair has given Chennai a long way to go. However, after Ruturaj was out, Chennai could not turn the run wheel fast. But in this case, Gujarat bowlers also have to give credit. Where once it seemed that Chennai’s collection would go beyond 180, Chennai could not score more than 169 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Ambati Rayudu made 46 off 31 balls. But in the end Shivam Dubey made 19 off 18 balls and Rabindra Jadeja made 22 off 12 balls. Gujarat Caribbean fast bowler Aljari Joseph took 2 wickets. Mohammad Shami and Yash Dayal took 1 wicket each.
Gujarat lost to Shubman Gill in the first innings. Vijay Shankar returned in the next over. He could not open the run record. Riddhiman Saha and Abhinav Manohar, who got a chance in this match, tried but failed to pull the team. Riddhi was out for 11 and Abhinav for 12. Rahul Tewatia also failed.
Gujarat, who lost 5 wickets for 6 runs in the 13th over, could not believe that they would win the match. From there, ‘Killer’ Miller showed his murderous batting. He continued to play one shot after another, making the Chennai bowlers helpless. However, if Rashid Khan had not hit Chris Jordan with three sixes and a four in the 18th over, the match might have been difficult for Miller. Rashid took Miller’s job by storm in a very short time. Dwayne Bravo took 2 wickets in the 19th over but could not save Chennai from defeat. Gujarat won the match with one ball in hand.
