Staff Reporter.
Proteas superstar David Miller powered the Gujarat Titans into the Indian Premier League final with a brilliant exhibition of power-hitting at Eden Gardens on Tuesday evening.
With the Titans requiring 16 runs off the final over, Miller slapped three consecutive sixes off Prasidh Krishna to take his team past Rajasthan Royals’ 188 for six in the Qualifier 1. Miller finished unbeaten on 68 off 38 balls (3×4, 5×6).
It formed part of a match-winning unbroken 106-run partnership with Titans captain Hardik Pandya (40 not out) that saw the Titans cruise home by seven wickets.
Pandya and Miller controlled the innings throughout with some sensible batting after the double blow of losing Shubman Gill and Matthew Wade in successive overs.
Gill (35) and Wade (35) had set up the innings with a 73-run partnership for the second wicket after Wriddhiman Saha had fallen to the second ball.
But the experience of Pandya and Miller came to the fore as they never allowed the run rate to get away from them.
A brilliant penultimate over from Obed McCoy, who conceded just seven runs, set up the finale for Prasidh Krishna.
Earlier, the Royals had seemingly posted a competitive total by virtue of the tournament’s leading run-scorer Jos Buttler smashing another brilliant 89 off 56 balls (12×4, 2×6).
He was initially more sedate than his usual blistering self in compiling his first 39 off 38 balls, but his next 50 came off just 18 deliveries.
It was instead the Royals skipper Samson that provided the initial momentum with a 26-ball 47 that included five boundaries and three sixes. Devdutt Padikkal followed his captain’s directive with an equally rapid 20 off 28 balls (2×4, 2×6).
It was not until the 17th over that Buttler ripped off the shackles and exploded into the batter that has taken this season’s IPL by storm. Left-arm seamer Yash Dayal was the unfortunate victim with Buttler taking 18 runs off the over, which included four boundaries.
The momentum of the innings completely shifted towards Buttler and the Royals with the Englishman climbing into Alzarri Joseph the following over.
This was all in vain though as the Titans timed their run-chase to perfection and will now have four days off to recuperate ahead of the final.
The Royals will, though, have another opportunity to progress to the Grand final when they face the winner of the Eliminator that will be contested between the Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya (capt), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (capt & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy.