AHMEDABAD: Centuries by Shubman Gill and opening partner Sai Sudharsan spearheaded Gujarat Titans to a 35-run win over Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Captain Gill, left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad, made 104 off 55 balls and left-hander Sudharsan was equal to the task in raising his maiden IPL hundred with a splendid 103 off 51 balls.
Their total of 231-3 was briefly challenged while Daryl Mitchell (63) and Moeen Ali (56) were batting, but Chennai fell short at 196-8.
Medium-pacer Mohit Sharma dismissed both half-century-makers in his 3-31.
Chennai’s loss tightened up the race to the playoffs. Chennai remained in the fourth and last playoff spot while Gujarat was just outside but needs to win its last two matches by big margins to drastically improve its net run rate.
Chennai sorely missed its frontline injured pacer Matheesha Pathirana and departed Mustafizur Rahman as Gill and Sudharsan paced the Gujarat innings.
Except for Shardul Thakur, who conceded only 25 runs, the other Chennai bowlers couldn’t stem the flow. Fast bowler Simarjeet Singh, in his second game of the season, was smashed for 60 off his four overs and Ravindra Jadeja was taken out of the attack after conceding 29 off his two overs of left-arm spin.
Both Gujarat openers reached their centuries off 50 balls and raised the joint-highest first wicket stand of 210 runs in IPL history. Chennai recovered briefly in the death overs and conceded just one boundary in the last three overs.
Tushar Deshpande dismissed both century-makers in the 18th over. Sudharsan, who hit seven sixes and five fours, holed out at extra cover and Gill was deceived by a slower ball and holed out at deep midwicket after hitting six sixes and nine fours.
Chennai slumped to 10-3. David Miller ran out Rachin Ravindra in the first over, Sandeep Warrier dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, and Gaikward went for a duck after a splended catch by Rashid Khan on the boundary.
Mitchell and Ali shared a 109-run stand for the third wicket but they were bagged by Sharma in his first two overs and Chennai couldn’t recover.
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan centuries send Gujarat to vital win over Chennai in IPL
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Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan centuries send Gujarat to vital win over Chennai in IPL
- Captain Gill, left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad, made 104 off 55 balls
Messi dazzles as Miami beat Vancouver to win MLS title
- Argentina superstar Messi provided assists for two goals and helped create another to spark wild celebrations before a rapturous home crowd at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale
FORT LAUDERDALE, United States: Lionel Messi inspired Inter Miami to their first ever MLS Cup title on Saturday, playing a leading role in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in Florida.
Argentina superstar Messi provided assists for two goals and helped create another to spark wild celebrations before a rapturous home crowd at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Miami took the lead after an early Edier Ocampo own goal but were left reeling by Ali Ahmed’s second half-equalizer for Vancouver.
But Messi then laid on an assist for Argentina international team-mate Rodrigo De Paul to put Miami 2-1 up before supplying the pass for Tadeo Allende’s injury time goal that sealed victory.
Miami’s first Major League Soccer crown provided glittering vindication for co-owner David Beckham, the former England and Manchester United star who had long dreamed of bringing success to Miami.
“There was a lot of sleepless nights, but I always believed,” Beckham said afterwards. “I always believed in bringing the team here, and when I found the right partners I knew anything was possible.
“We always promised our fans that we would bring success, and bring the best players, and today we’ve achieved that.”
Vancouver — spearheaded by German legend Thomas Mueller — had looked the likelier victor after recovering from Ocampo’s eighth minute own goal to level through Ali Ahmed in the 60th minute.
The Whitecaps almost took the lead moments after the equalizer, with Emmanuel Sabbi’s shot crashing off both posts in the 62nd minute as Miami escaped.
But with the Whitecaps in complete control, the Canadians were stunned when Miami regained the lead after a blunder by midfielder Andres Cubas.
Cubas took too long in possession and was robbed by Messi, who skipped clear before releasing De Paul to provide the clinical finish.
Vancouver never recovered from that hammer blow and Miami started the party in injury time when Messi played in Allende for the third to make it 3-1.
The win marks the crowning achievement of Inter Miami since the club — which entered the league as an expansion club in 2020 — successfully lured Messi to Miami in 2023.
Saturday’s victory also marked the end of an era for two key figures in Miami’s rise to the top of Major League Soccer, with former Spanish internationals Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets heading into retirement.
