Thirteen runs were needed off the last three balls when David Miller punched Odean Smith down the ground for one run. The equation was 12 from two. The next two balls were then dispatched into the midwicket region for maximums by Rahul Tewatia as the Gujarat Titans defeated the Punjab Kings in a last-ball thriller. 

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Hardik Pandya and co won by six wickets. 

While Tewatia is praised for all his calm during the climax of the run chase – the last over, it was opener Shubman Gill wo orchestrated it. The 22-year-old scored 96 runs off 59 balls with the help of 11 boundaries and one six. He was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada when the side needed 30 runs off 14 deliveries. 

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Debutant Sai Sudarshan, who came in at No 3, played a patient 35-run hand in 30 balls. Skipper Hardik Pandya scored 27 runs in 18. 

For the Punjab Kings, Kagiso Rabada was the best bowler. The South African picked two wickets for 35 runs in his four overs. Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar came back with one scalp. 

Talking about the game in the post match ceremony PBKS captain Mayank Agarwal said that last over could have been anyone’s game.

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“Last over could have been anyone’s game. We totally back Odean, it’s fine, he probably hard a fine game but that’s fine. We back him a 100%. It’s just a game of cricket, it could be a bitter one to swallow but it’s fine. The talk in the group is we always back the guys. If he has a bad day, he has bad day, no worries, we back him 100%,” he said. 

In the first innings, England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, this IPL’s costliest foreign player, made full use of a lucky reprieve to smash a second consecutive half century and help Punjab Kings post 189 for 9. 

The potent Gujarat Titans bowling attack made a brief comeback with debutant Darshan Nalkande (2/37) and the seasoned Rashid claiming wickets in quick succession.