In an unexpected turn of events, Gujarat Titans’ skipper Hardik Pandya slipped at the long-off boundary while going for Jos Buttler’s catch. The miss proved costly as the English batter went on to score plenty of runs from there.
On Tuesday, Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals are squaring off against each other in the first Qualifier at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Earlier, the match was in a doubt owing to continuous rain before the game. However, the top-notch facilities on the ground ensured the match begins on time.
Gujarat Titans’ skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and invited the Royals from Rajasthan to bat first in the clutch game. His decision proved correct as Yash Dayal swung out Yashasvi Jaiswal early. However, Sanju Samson came out with all guns blazing and counterattacked the opposition.
Jos Buttler came out with an intent to stay in the middle for as long as possible. He wasn’t in his usual destructive mode but was going at a strike rate of around a hundred. Batting on 43 runs off 38 deliveries in the 17th over, the Englishman was trying to let loose.
Hardik Pandya slips while going for Jos Buttler’s catch
On the 2nd delivery of the 17th over, Buttler swatted Yash Dayal towards long-off. It looked like an easy catch for Hardik Pandya guarding the boundary but the all-rounder slipped at the wrong time while going for the catch.
The ball landed behind the Titans’ skipper and went for a boundary. In the end, it proved to be a costly miss as Jos Buttler went berserk as the English wicketkeeper-batter smashed 89 runs off 56 deliveries, including 12 boundaries and 2 maximums.
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In the end, the inaugural season champions posted 188/6 in 20 overs. Chasing the total, Hardik Pandya’s team lost Wriddhiman Saha early but Matthew Wade and Shubman Gill are going strong with their partnership. At the time of the writing, Gujarat Titans are 42/1 in 4.4 overs.
