Sudharsan, Shahrukh push GT to 200 for three

The former India wicketkeeper tried to make room for an aerial hit over extra cover but ended up mistiming to Karn Sharma at third man.

Ahmedabad: Shahrukh Khan made full use of his promotion in the batting order for his maiden IPL fifty while Sai Sudharsan stayed till the end to guide Gujarat Titans to 200 for three against Royal Challengers Bengaluru here on Sunday.

Batting at number four, Shahrukh (58 off 30) teamed up with Sudharsan (84 not out off 49) to give Gujarat Titans a much needed push after a tepid start. The duo shared an 86-run stand off 45 balls. RCB put the home team into bat in the scorching Ahmedabad heat with Glenn Maxwell returning to their playing eleven from a “mental and physical health” break.

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Wriddhiman Saha (5 off 4) was dismissed early as the first over bowled by left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh. The former India wicketkeeper tried to make room for an aerial hit over extra cover but ended up mistiming to Karn Sharma at third man.

Skipper Shubman Gill (16) was undone by the on-field brilliance from Cameron Green who ran towards his left to take a stunning catch at long-on off Maxwell. With Sudharan at the other end, Titans decided to do something different and sent Shahrukh ahead of the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai and David Miller.

The move worked as Shahrukh milked the spinners mainly in the cow corner region, hammering five sixes and three fours. He completed the half-century with a maximum over long-on off Green before Mohammed Siraj cleaned him up with a sharp yorker.

Miller (26 not out off 19) joined Sudharsan in the middle and two shared an unbeaten 69 run stand off 36 balls to push the team to a par score. Sudharan’s second straight fifty plus score comprised eight fours and four sixes.