rcb vs gt ipl match 21 may 2023

  If you are a cricket fan, you might be interested in reading about the thrilling match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) that took place on 21 May 2023 in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This match was crucial for both teams as it decided their fate in the tournament. RCB needed a win to qualify for the playoffs, while GT wanted to spoil their party and help Mumbai Indians secure the fourth spot. In this blog post, I will give you a summary of the match highlights, the scorecard, and the player of the match.

The match was played at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which is known for its high-scoring pitches and small boundaries. GT won the toss and opted to field first, hoping to chase down whatever target RCB would set. RCB had a strong batting line-up, led by their captain Virat Kohli, who was in sublime form. He opened the innings with Faf du Plessis and gave RCB a flying start. They added 82 runs for the first wicket in 9.2 overs, with Kohli dominating the strike and hitting boundaries at will. He reached his fifty off just 28 balls and continued to accelerate. Du Plessis played a supporting role and scored 28 off 19 balls before he was dismissed by Naveen-ul-Haq in the 10th over.
RCB lost Glenn Maxwell and Mahipal Lomror cheaply in the middle overs, but Kohli kept going strong. He found an able partner in Doug Bracewell, who scored a quickfire 26 off 16 balls. Kohli reached his century off 59 balls, his second consecutive ton and sixth overall in IPL history. He remained unbeaten on 101 off 61 balls, with 13 fours and one six. RCB finished with a formidable total of 197/5 in 20 overs.

GT had a daunting task ahead of them, but they had a talented batting line-up as well. They were led by Shubman Gill, who had been in terrific form throughout the tournament. He opened the innings with Wriddhiman Saha and got off to a brisk start. They scored 51 runs in the powerplay, with Gill hitting some elegant shots. Saha was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj for 12 off 14 balls in the sixth over, but that did not slow down GT's momentum. Gill was joined by Vijay Shankar, who played an aggressive knock of 53 off 35 balls. They added 123 runs for the second wicket in just 11 overs, keeping GT ahead of the required run rate.

Gill reached his fifty off 29 balls and then shifted gears. He smashed two sixes off Bracewell in the 14th over and then hit another six and two fours off Vyshak in the next over. Shankar also hit some big shots, including a massive six over mid-wicket that measured 106 meters. However, he fell soon after reaching his half-century, caught by Maxwell off Vyshak in the 17th over. GT lost two more wickets in quick succession, as Dasun Shanaka and David Miller departed cheaply.

However, Gill was still there and he was unstoppable. He hit three more sixes in the last three overs, one each off Siraj, Harshal Patel and Wayne Parnell. He brought up his maiden IPL century off just 51 balls and finished the match with a six over long on off Parnell's first ball of the final over. He remained unbeaten on 104 off 52 balls, with five fours and eight sixes. GT chased down the target with five balls to spare and won by six wickets.

Gill was rightly adjudged as the player of the match for his sensational knock that knocked out RCB and helped MI qualify for the playoffs. He also became the leading run-scorer of IPL 2023 with 732 runs at an average of 73.20 and a strike rate of 156.38.

This was one of the most thrilling matches of IPL 2023 and a fitting end to the league stage. Both teams played with passion and intensity, but GT had the edge thanks to Gill's brilliance. RCB will be disappointed to miss out on the playoffs after such a strong performance by their captain Kohli, who finished as the second-highest run-scorer of IPL 2023 with 725 runs at an average of 80.55 and a strike rate of 153.19.

Scorecard:

RCB: V Kohli (c) not out -101 (61), F du Plessis -28 (19), G Maxwell -11 (5), M Lomror -1 (3), D Bracewell -26 (16), D Karthik (wk) -0 (1), A Rawat not out -23 (15); Extras -7

Total:197/5 (20 overs)

Fall of wickets:1-82 (du Plessis),2-102 (Maxwell),3-105 (Lomror),4-156 (Bracewell),5-157 (Karthik)

GT bowling: M Shami -1/39 (4), Y Dayal -1/39 (4), R Khan -1/24 (4), N Ahmad -2/39 (4), M Sharma -0/54 (4)

GT: W Saha (wk) -12 (14), S Gill not out -104 (52), V Shankar -53 (35), D Shanaka -0 (3), D Miller -6 (7), R Tewatia not out -4 (5); Extras -19

Total:198/4 (19.1 overs)

Fall of wickets:1-32 (Saha),2-155 (Shankar),3-160 (Shanaka),4-173 (Miller)

RCB bowling: M Siraj -2/32 (4), W Parnell -0/42 (3.1), V Kumar -1/40 (4), H Sharma -0/28 (3), H Patel -1/29 (4), M Bracewell -0/16
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