By India Today Sports Desk: Gujarat Titans opening batter Shubman Gill scored his fifth half-century of IPL 2023 to get his side off to a good start against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. GT are facing five-time champions MI in the second Qualifier of IPL 2023.
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The 23-year-old went past Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis to take the lead in the race for the Orange Cap. Gill brought up his fifty in just 32 balls in the second Qualifier.
Gill started off his innings in positive fashion, hitting MI pace-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green for a boundary in the second over of the game. He kept the scoreboard ticking at a healthy rate along with fellow opener Wriddhiman Saha. After playing at almost a-run-a-ball, Gill broke free in the sixth over, smashing MI pacer Jason Behrendorff for a six and a four, before being dropped by Tim David in the penultimate ball of the over while batting on 30.
Saha and Gill’s 54-run partnership for the opening wicket was brought to an end when Saha was stumped by Ishan Kishan off Piyush Chawla’s delivery. After a couple of low-scoring overs, Gill took on Chawla in the ninth over, smashing the 34-year-old for a massive six down the track, before bringing up his fifty in the very next over with a quick single against Kumar Kartikeya.
En route to his half-century, Gill surpassed Du Plessis’ tally of 730 runs in IPL 2023, to become the top-scorer in the competition, and now has now become the first batter to cross the 750-run mark this season.
