West Indies powerhouse Shimron Hetmyer’s batting onslaught lit up the IPL on Sunday as he fired Rajasthan Royals to a stunning three-wicket win over holders Gujarat Titans.
Shimron Hetmyer of the Rajasthan Royals scored a century to help his side beat Gujarat Titans in their IPL match on 16 April 2023. Picture: @rajasthanroyals/Twitter
AHMEDABAD – West Indies powerhouse Shimron Hetmyer’s batting onslaught lit up the IPL on Sunday as he fired Rajasthan Royals to a stunning three-wicket win over holders Gujarat Titans.
Venkatesh Iyer made an impact with his 104 in the first match of the day but his team Kolkata Knight Riders went down to Mumbai Indians who created IPL history by handing a debut cap to Arjun Tendulkar, son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The Tendulkars became the first father-son duo to play in the Indian Premier League T20 tournament, which began in 2008.
The second match produced fireworks after Hetmyer’s unbeaten 26-ball 56 steered Rajasthan to victory, set up by skipper Sanju Samson, who hit 60 off 32 balls.
“I just really wanted to win against these (Gujarat) guys because they beat us three times (including the final) last year so it was a bit of revenge really,” man of the match Hetmyer said.
Chasing 178 for victory, Rajasthan were in trouble at 55-4 when Samson and the left-handed Hetmyer turned on the chase at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
Samson took on leg-spinner Rashid Khan in an over and smashed a hat-trick of sixes and then took on another Afghanistan spinner before departing.
Noor Ahmad, a left-arm wrist spinner, came in as impact player for Gujarat and after getting smashed for a six and four got Samson caught out.
But the dismissal only fired up the left-handed Hetmyer who kept up the charge as he and Dhruv Jurel, who hit 18, got 20 runs from an Alzarri Joseph over to near the target.
Hetmyer finished off the chase with a six off Ahmad, an IPL debutant who was given the final over by Gujarat skipper Hardik Pandya.
Mohammed Shami stood out with figures of 3-25 for Gujarat, who won the title last year in their fairytale debut IPL season.
Earlier Shubman Gill (45) and David Miller (46) guided Gujarat to 177-7 after being invited to bat first.
SKY HITS FORM
In the afternoon match, Iyer hit his maiden T20 century to guide Kolkata to 185-6, but five-time winners Mumbai overhauled the total with 14 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.
Iyer’s knock was the first ton for two-time champions Kolkata since former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum smashed 158 runs in the first ever IPL match in 2008.
Mumbai opener Ishan Kishan blasted 58 off 25 balls but it was T20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav’s quickfire 43 that brought the home crowd to life, as he looked like returning to form after a rough patch.
“I relaxed and had an easy walk to the wicket, took my time for the first 6-7 balls,’ said Suryakumar, fondly called SKY who led the side after skipper Rohit Sharma opted out of the XI but later came in as impact sub.
“And then I thought if I get my eye in I can take it forward.”
The left-handed Kishan gave Mumbai a flying start in a 65-run opening stand with Rohit, who made 20 off 13 balls.
Kishan was bowled by leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy but Suryakumar, who got a first-ball duck in the previous match, soon took charge to smash three sixes in his 25-ball blitz.
Shardul Thakur denied Suryakumar his fifty, before Tim David steered the chase with an unbeaten 24.
Mumbai started by handing debut caps to Arjun and South Africa fast bowler Duan Jansen, twin brother of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Marco Jansen.
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