Rashid Khan hit 3 sixes in the last 4 balls to power Gujarat Titans to a thrilling win over his former IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad against all odds. The Afghan all-rounder was part of a staggering 59 runs partnership off 24 balls with Rahul Tewatia as they turned the game around in favor of table-toppers Gujarat. Rashid Khan eventually won the game for Gujarat with 2 successive sixes off the last 2 balls from Marco Jansen, something his partner Tewatia did earlier this season against Punjab.
Chasing 196 for a win, Gujarat got off to an excellent start through veteran Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha who scored 68 off just 38 balls. In the company of Shubman Gill, Saha looked to be making short work of a very stiff target but that was before Umran Malik came into the attack.
The young uncapped speedster Umran Malik blew Gujarat’s top order away with his pace as he ended up with 5 for 25 from his 4 overs, taking all the wickets that Gujarat lost during their chase. However, once he finished his quota, Tewatia and Rashid Khan took a toll on the remaining bowlers to clinch an unlikely win.
South African Marco Jansen was the unfortunate bowler who got tonked around for 4 sixes in the last over, including 3 in the last four balls from Rashid as Gujarat romped home to an unlikely win.
Till that partnership, it wasn’t the best of the days for Rashid as he was taken for 45 runs off his 4 wicketless overs. Having been put in to bat by Hardik Pandya, Hyderabad lost their skipper Williamson early but Abhishek Sharma in the company of Aidan Markram made sure Hyderabad get to a big total.
Shashank Singh, playing his first game of the season, smashed 25 off the last over from Lockie Ferguson to push Hyderabad to 195, which looked like a winning score at the time. However, Gujarat continued their trend of pulling a game out of the fire as they won yet another nail-biter.
With this win, Gujarat Titans already have one foot in the playoffs having reached 14 points, 4 points ahead of 3rd placed Hyderabad. Gujarat next play a struggling RCB on Saturday, while Hyderabad will take on Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
