Mohit Sharma made his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans against his former team Punjab Kings at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Thursday and he was able to hit the ground running. Mohit, playing his first IPL match since 2020, was right on the money with his line and length. In fact, Mohit was a net bowler for GT in the previous season of the IPL.
After conceding only six runs in his first over, Mohit bowled two overs for only three runs each. He was doing what he used to do best, hit the hard length, target the top of off-stump. Sharma returned with figures of 2-18 in his quota of four overs and thus he played a key role in restricting Punjab Kings to a below-par score of 153 runs.
Thus, the right-arm pacer, who plays for Haryana in the domestic circuit, was awarded the Player of the Match on his IPL homecoming.
He said in the post-match presentation, “I have had a good time at this venue. I thought of sticking to my variations, had a chat with Hardik in the middle overs, luckily it paid off. You need to train hard, give your 100 percent. Need to bowl according to the situation, and stick to the basics. I was given a role to bowl after 10 overs. Credit goes to the coach who has defined everyone’s role in the team.”
On the other hand, Shubman Gill carried his hot form as he scored 67 runs from 49 balls with the help of seven fours and one six. Gill admitted it was a challenging wicket as runs didn’t come at a brisk pace.
Gill said after the game, “Wicket got a bit challenging in the end. Was harder to hit sixes with the old ball. It’s a big ground. Was important to keep hitting the gaps, run as hard as possible. I should’ve finished the match. Rahul Tewatia and Kings XI is a love story. In these type of games, there’s definitely pressure on both teams. It’s about trying to minimise dot balls. It was difficult for them also to score runs against old ball. Was important to have a good powerplay. We ticked that box. It wasn’t a big score. Was important to keep hitting the singles. He looked good in the nets also (Mohit). He has a good yorker. He bowled magnificently with the slower one, using the boundaries. Was a great GT debut for him.”
Gujarat Titans will be delighted with their win against PBKS as they came up with a collective show. The reigning champions will next take on Rajasthan Royals on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
