Navi Mumbai: Liam Livingstone (30 n o, 10b, 2×4, 3×6) clobbered Mohammed Shami (1/43) for 26 runs in the 16th over as Punjab Kings (PBKS) hammered Gujarat Titans (GT) by eight wickets in their IPL encounter here Tuesday. Chasing 144 for victory, PBKS easily went over the line and ended on 145 for two wickets with four overs to spare. They were helped in their cause by Shikhar Dhawan (62 n o, 53b, 8×4, 1×6) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40, 28b, 5×4, 1×6).
Livingstone launched into Shami in the 16th over hitting the Indian pacer for three successive sixes. He followed it up with two boundaries in the fifth and sixth deliveries of the over. In between he ran a couple.
Prior to that Dhawan and Rajapaksa had put on 87 runs for the second wicket after PBKS lost Jonny Bairstow with only 10 on board. Dhawan paid a sedate knock and anchored the innings, while Rajapakasa launched a counter-attack to destroy whatever hopes GT had of making a comeback into the game.
Earlier South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada (4/33) was at his lethal best as PBKS restricted Gujarat Titans (GT) to a below-par 143 for eight. Except for Sai Sudharsan (65 n o, 50b, 5×4, 1×6) none of the GT batters could get going. In their 20 overs, PBKS bowlers only conceded 11 boundaries and two sixes.
Sudarsan kept one end going but ran out of partners as GT skipper Hardik Pandya’s decision to elect to bat backfired.
GT 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, off Rabada. 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. 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 only to be caught by Rabada at long-off.
Rabada further pegged back Gujarat by removing Rahul Tewatia (11) and Rashid Khan (0) in successive deliveries in the 17th over with Gujarat reeling at 112/6. Rabada capped off a memorable spell by dismissing Lockie Ferguson (5).
Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 143 for 8 (Sai Sudarshan 65 n o, Kagiso Rabada 4/33) lost to Punjab Kings 145 for 2 in 16 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 62 n o, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 40, Liam Livingstone 30 n o) by eight wickets.
