Gujarat surge; Gill leading

Gujarat Titans moved into the Indian Premier League top four on April 17 after chasing 181 to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets in Ahmedabad. (iplt20.com) Shubman Gill made 86 off 50 balls, won player of the match, and took Gujarat to 181 for 5 with two balls left at Narendra Modi Stadium. (iplt20.com; espncricinfo.com) Kolkata were bowled out for 180 after Cameron Green scored 79 off 55, while Kagiso Rabada returned 3 for 29 and Mohammed Siraj took 2 for 23. Ajinkya Rahane fell for a first-ball duck, and Kolkata slipped to 32 for 3 inside four overs. (espncricinfo.com; iplt20.com) The result gave Gujarat a third straight win, and IPL’s official match report said Kolkata’s winless run had stretched to six matches. ESPNcricinfo’s match report also said the victory lifted Gujarat into the playoff places while Kolkata stayed without a win. (iplt20.com; espncricinfo.com) Gill’s start to the season has been one of the clearest reasons for that climb. ESPNcricinfo’s Orange Cap table listed him on 251 runs from four innings as of April 18, with three fifties and a strike rate of 154.93. (espncricinfo.com) That batting table also showed how tight the race is at the top: Heinrich Klaasen was ahead on 283 runs from six innings, while Virat Kohli was close behind Gill on 247 from six. Gill’s average in the table was 62.75, higher than the 55 figure cited in some early summaries of the match. (espncricinfo.com) Gujarat’s chase followed the formula that carried them to the 2022 title: fast bowlers controlling the start, then top-order batting finishing the job. Gill is now captain, Ashish Nehra remains coach, and Ahmedabad is still the team’s home base. (iplt20.com; iplt20.com) For Kolkata, the same night underlined a different pattern. Green’s 79 repaired the innings after the early collapse, but the side still finished on 180 all out and left Ahmedabad still searching for a first win after six games. (espncricinfo.com; iplt20.com) The table will keep shifting in April, but Gujarat now have points, form, and a captain scoring quickly at the top. Gill left this match with another fifty-plus score and a team back inside the top four. (iplt20.com; espncricinfo.com)