IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada shine to hand Punjab Kings 8-wicket win over Gujarat Titans

Pacer
Kagiso
Rabada
snared
four
wickets
as
Punjab
Kings
restricted
formidable
Gujarat
Titans
to
a
below-par
143
for
eight
after
Hardik
Pandya
opted
to
bat
first.
Punjab,
who
made
a
mess
of
what
should
have
been
a
straightforward
chase
in
their
last
game,
learned
from
their
mistakes
to
pace
the
innings
much
better
and
overcome
the
target
in
16
overs.

Dhawan
(62
not
out
off
53
balls)
scored
his
third
half-century
of
the
season
and
got
good
support
from
Sri
Lankan
Bhanuka
Rajapaksa
(40
off
28),
who
entertained
with
five
fours
and
a
six.
As
one
of
the
senior
batters
in
the
team,
Dhawan
took
the
responsibility
of
finishing
the
game
for
his
team
and
he
did
that
with
elan.
Skipper
Mayank
Agarwal
dropped
himself
down
the
order
to
accommodate
Jonny
Bairstow
(1)
at
the
top
of
the
order
but
the
move
did
not
work.

However,
the
87-run
stand
between
the
left-handers,
Dhawan
and
Rajapaksa,
ensured
Punjab
got
home
comfortably.
Liam
Livingstone
(30
not
out
off
10)
displayed
some
brutal
hitting
towards
the
end
of
the
chase
and
smashed
premier
India
pacer
Mohammad
Shami
for
four
sixes
including
a
monstrous
117m
hit
over
deep
square
leg.

The
16th
over
going
for
30
runs
also
gave
a
big
boost
to
PBKS’ net
run
rate.
It
was
a
much-needed
win
for
Punjab,
who
have
struggled
for
consistency
this
season
with
five
wins
and
as
many
losses.
For
Gujarat,
who
are
set
to
make
the
play-offs,
it
was
a
timely
wake-up
call
to
fix
their
batting
issues,
especially
at
the
top
of
the
order.
They
have
had
somebody
or
the
other
to
bail
them
out
of
tough
situations
but
it
was
not
the
case
on
Tuesday.

Earlier,
Sai
Sudharsan’s
unbeaten
65
off
50
balls
was
the
saving
grace
in
Gujarat’s
innings
as
Punjab
bowlers
conceded
only
11
fours
and
two
sixes.
Sudarsan
managed
to
hit
five
boundaries
and
a
six
but
ran
out
of
partners
as
Gujarat
skipper
Hardik
Pandya’s
decision
to
elect
to
bat
backfired.

They
lost
openers
Shubman
Gill
(9)
and
Wriddhiman
Saha
(21)
cheaply.
Gill,
who
had
struck
two
boundaries,
was
dismissed
courtesy
a
direct
hit
from
Rishi
Dhawan
from
cover,
in
the
third
over.
In
the
next
over
Saha,
who
started
aggressively,
gave
a
sitter
to
rival
captain
Mayank
Agawral
at
mid-off,
giving
Rabada
(4/33)
his
first
wicket.
Saha,
who
had
hit
three
boundaries
and
a
six,
was
undone
by
the
extra
bounce,
as
he
tried
to
play
a
lofted
shot,
but
mistimed
it
and
paid
the
price.
Gujarat
further
slipped
to
44/3
as
pacer
Rishi
Dhawan
(1/26)
removed
Hardik
(1)
early.
Hardik
tried
to
drive
an
outside
the
off
length
ball,
but
ended
it
nicking
to
wicket-keeper
Jitesh
Sharma
leaving
his
team
in
all
sorts
of
trouble.

Then
Sudharsan
and
David
Miller
(11)
tried
to
rally
the
innings
but
managed
to
add
only
23
runs
in
30
balls.
It
became
67/4
after
Liam
Livingstone
(1/15)
dismissed
Miller,
who
miscued
a
lofted
drive
to
be
caught
by
Rabada
at
long-off.
Sudharshan
tried
to
change
gears
from
the
11th
over,
when
he
pulled
Livingstone
for
his
first
boundary,
but
was
unable
to
free
his
arms
frequently.
Rabada
further
pegged
back
Gujarat
by
removing
Rahul
Tewatia
(11)
and
Rashid
Khan
(0)
in
successive
deliveries
in
the
17th
over,
with
GT
reeling
at
112/6.

Rabada
capped
off
a
memorable
spell
by
dismissing
Lockie
Ferguson
(5).
For
Punjab,
Sandeep
Sharma
(0/17),
Arshdeep
Singh
(1/35),
Rahul
Chahar
(0/11)
and
Livingstone
also
played
their
parts
to
perfection.