GT vs MI, IPL 2023 Qualifier 2 Highlights: Gill century, Mohit 5-fer lead Titans to 2nd consecutive final

“Playing ball-to-ball, assessing the situation is important. The over I hit three sixes is where I felt it was my day. It was a good wicket to bat on and I wanted to maximise scoring. (On six hitting) Not a conscious decision, you want to keep evolving. Belief is more important, helps when you're coming off a good international season. Success has been a combination of a lot of things. WI tour last year began change. I was injured in 2021 which is when I worked on my batting I made technical changes as well. (Handling expectations) It doesn't matter when you make your way into the playing field. This is my best innings so far in the IPL.”

"I think a lot of hard work goes behind the guys doing well. They keep practising, that reflects. I think the clarity and confidence he is carrying is amazing. Today's innings was one of the finest, he never looked rushed. It felt like someone was throwing balls and he was hitting. He will be a superstar in international and franchise cricket. I do have conversations with him, I try that people feed off my energy. Everyone takes responsibility for themselves. We have to play good cricket, put in our 100%. knockouts could go either way, but very excited for the final."

Akash Madhwal had broken the record for best figures in an IPL playoff match in the Eliminator, Mohit has now come a close second with his figures of 5/10. Mohit also now has the second highest number of wickets in the death overs, which is 14. He is behind CSK's Matheesha Pathirana's 16.

“I was lucky to have taken a quick five-for. Ball was skidding well even in the chase, looked like game will slip if SKY and Green get going. I thought I wouldn't experiment when SKY's batting as that's what we studied ahead of the game. We were okay being hit for six sixes off length balls as that's more difficult. Match wasn't over after SKY was out but there was relief and we were at comfort. The game wasn't over till the last ball, we've learned in the past that it's not over till then.”

"Shubman batted well, wicket was good. They got 20-25 extra. We were positive after the first-half. Greeny and Surya batted well but we lost our way. We wanted to give it a good crack, be positive. We couldn't get going in the powerplay. We wanted one batter, like Gujarat did, and take the game deep where anything can happen on a good pitch and a ground with a small boundary. But credit to GT, who played well. Kishan's concussion was unexpected. It was a last-minute change. We had to adapt, to different conditions and situations. Not looking at that though. Playing this game, qualifying and coming this far is big, the batting has been a big positive we can take into the next season. All the bowling teams have been challenged. We had a great performance last game. We have to credit Shubman. I hope he continues that form (laughs). Tim's been given a role this season, I wanted to send Vishnu up. It didn't work out today."

It was Shubman Gill scoring a second consecutive century that knocked RCB out and gave MI a ticket to the playoffs. Now he has scored another century that ends MI's campaign. It was almost like he kept them alive only to make sure he is the one who kills them. Gill has now scored three centuries in his last four games, which in any format is extraordinary. In the T20 format, where even 30 runs scored at a good strike rate is considered a good innings, it is utterly bonkers.

Five-wicket haul for the indomitable Mohit Sharma. Kartikeya goes for a big hit down the ground, Miller takes the catch on the ropes and that ends the match. Shubman Gill's innings is going to be spoken about for years to come, and rightly so. No amount of superlatives are enough to aptly describe that innings. But take a moment and appreciate Mohit Sharma, his over in which he got SKY and Vinod finished off any chances MI had and then he went for the kill. He ends with extraordinary figures of 5/10 all in a season at the start of which he was not even in the team's plans. Utterly brilliant from Mohit, brilliant from Gill and thanks to them, GT have become just the third team after CSK and MI to have reached the IPL finals in consecutive seasons. Jason Behrendorff has a few good words with Gill as they shake hands, one has to just stand up and appreciate some efforts and this was one of those. Rohit Sharma says in his post-match interview that he hopes Shubman Gill, who plays under him and opens with him for the Indian team, can continue the gold mine of form he has come across this season.

People are now leaving the stands in droves now, hoping to avoid the traffic now that the game is very clearly over. Gujarat Titans are going to have a second chance at beatin the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. They are really buoyed by the fact that Gill played one of the greatest T20 innings of all time but once they got a little opening in the MI innings, they really made the most of it.

Wicket No.4 for Mohit Sharma! Mumbai have crumbled but better to go down swinging than just tap your way to the last ball. Piyush Chawla with an almighty mow down the ground, gets a top edge and it goes down the ground, in the air for a while. Pandya and Miller chase it initially but the GT captain pulls out as soon as he sees the South African chasing it. Miller dives and pouches it nicely.

Chawla c Miller b Sharma 0 (2), MI 162/9 in 16.3 overs

Third wicket for Mohit. It is now better to say that GT are two wickets away from reaching a second successive IPL final, as opposed to saying 23 balls away that is.

Rashid with a celebrappeal for LBW, umpire raises the finger and David reviews straightaway. No edge at all and the umpire's decision is upheld. That has to be it.

David lbw b Rashid Khan 2 (3), MI 158/7 in 15.3 overs

Vinod spoons the fifth ball of the 15th straight into the hands of the cover fielder. This over may as well have ended this match as a contest.

Vinod c Pandya b Mohit 5 (7), 156/6 in 14.5 overs

Is that the game? SKY misses the scoop and the leg stump is knocked over. The batter takes ages to finally find the will to start walking away, Gill gives him a little pat on the back. Is that the end of MI's chase?

Suryakumar Yadav b Mohit 61 (38), MI 156/5 in 14.3 overs

Second ball of the 15th, SKY nails the pulls shot and that goes deep into the stands.

SKY scoops the the fourth ball of the over and that clears the boundary and then some. His fifty comes in 33 balls.

Mohammed Shami has given Vishnu Vinod the greatest lifeline he could have ever wished for, bowler Josh Little doesn't know what to do. Vinod skies an attempted pull shot, Shami gets underneath it, he is settled. And then, Shami, the individual who plays cricket for a living, let that ball slip right through his hands. In fact, it might not be right to call it a dropped catch, because he didn't even touch it. That is just unacceptably poor from someone who gets paid millions just to play cricket.

Vishni Vinod is in as concussion substitute for Ishan Kishan. He is on 4 off 5, SKY is on 42 off 30. MI need 100 runs in 42 balls.

Little makes the bails fly off his second ball of the match. Didn't rise as much as he expected and the stumps behind him is disturbed. Big wicket here.

Green b Little 30 (20), 124/4 in 11.2 overs

Noor goes full on the stumps for the fourth ball of the 11th, Green smashes it over cow corner. What a partnership this is turning out to be. It has produced 47 runs in 27 balls. 

In any other match, this would be seen as a bonkers score and would indicate a clear cut victory for MI. But they are chasing 234 and so they still have a mountain to climb.

This time it is Green but he has got a boundary off Rashid the way normal batters do. Tries a cover drive, it takes an outside edge and runs to the boundary.

With that, MI race past 100 in just 9.3 overs. SKY getting into the act and he continues to smash Rashid everywhere.

Third ball of the ninth bowled by Noor Ahmad, it is overpitched down leg and Green slog sweeps it over deep square leg.

Their current run rate is 10.50 and the required rate is 12.50 so they are very much on course in that aspect. The lack of wickets, though, means that they need a 100-run stand somewhere. SKY is on 20 off 15, Gree on 8 off nine.