Gujarat top heavy 3 batters are doing their job by taking off the burden from the middle and lower order batters. Hence, this school of thought and executions retains their spot on top of the tree with 12 points whilst defending champions, Kolkota Knight Riders are defending at the bottom placed at number 7.
Sai Sudharshan , Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler have a corporate trio self-belief. If we cannot get the job done having the luxury of batting during the power play, is it fair for us to expect our middle and lower order to stich match winning targets or chase even par scores ?
The above thoughts could be termed as speculation after the trio keeps setting this trend, but records prove its not speculation but reality.
Sai Sudharshan, the left-hand sensation, has recorded 424 runs so far. The recipient of the orange cap with 3 half centuries and a top score of 82.
Shubman Gill, who opens the batting with Sai Sudharshan, has accumulated 305 runs in 8 matches with 90 as his highest score he recorded yesterday at Eden Gardens.
Jos, the boss, bats at 3, Butler is a finisher who can even carter the best spinners batting in the middle overs. He has recorded 356 runs so far in his 8 games at an average of 51.50, with a highest score of an unbeaten 97 against Delhi Capitols in his last outing.
Basically, this was the top order of Gujarat Titans’ batters that KKR was up against at Eden Gardens yesterday.
Gujarat Titans made 198 for 3 wickets, Sai Sudharshan 52, Shubman Gill 90, and Butler 41 not out. Sadly, none of the KKR bowlers were spared of an onslaught. Vibhav Arora 1 for 44, Harshit Rana 1 for 45 , Sunil Narine wicketless for 39 , Moeen Ali, who opened the bowling with spin, also wicket less for 27 in his 3 overs.
Sudharshan had a strike rate of 144.44 with 6 boundaries and a six, skipper Shuban Gill, a strike rate of 163.64 with 10 boundaries and 3 maximums whilst Butler batting at the fall of the first wicket at 114, thumped 8 boundaries in his unbeaten 41 with a strike rate of 179. 29.
Kolkota Knight Riders in pursuit of 199 were never in the hunt.
They lost Sunil Narine for 17, skipper Ajankya Rahane toiled for his 50 , whilst Andre Russell made 21.
The writing was on the wall for KKR very early in the game when they lost 2 wickets in the power play overs for 46 runs.
The top order, including the lower order batters, were controlled by Prasad Krishna, who took 2 for 25 whilst Rashid Khan has got his vibes back 2 for 25 for the Afghan leg spinner.
It’s was a one-sided game , sadly, the crowd expected a better performance from the defending champions. I guess they, too, are struggling alongside Chennai Super Kings , Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals in this year’s version.