IPL 2023, Match 13: A turning point in the game between GT and KKR

On April 9, the Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders played in the 13th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following their victory, both sides sought to add another one in the heavyweight match.

In place of Gujarat’s customary captain, Hardik Panyda for their match against Kolkata was the team’s star spinner, Rashid Khan. The hosts chose to bat first after winning the toss.

When the reigning champions came to bat, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill hoped to get them off to a fast start, but Sunil Narine struck both batsmen. After scoring 39 runs against Kolkata, Gill reached the 2,000 run mark in the IPL. Down the sequence, Sai Sudharsan and Vijay Shankar played crucial shots while displaying tenacity.

The defending champions’ first inning was finished with a magnificent half-century from Sudharsan and an undefeated 63 runs from Vijay Shankar in 24 balls, giving them a total of 204 runs.

When did the Gujarat Titans’ game vs Kolkata Knight Riders turn?
Because of the early dismissals of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Narayan Jagadeesan in the second inning, Kolkata was under increasing strain. Venkatesh Iyer, an impact player, scored 83 runs to give the ailing Kolkata team some hope.

Nitish Rana, the team’s captain, led the inning and collected 45 runs in the pursuit. But, Kolkata’s victory was determined by the 25-year-old Rinku Singh’s strike, which was the game’s pivotal moment. When his team most needed him, he entered the game at bat.

Rinku Singh displayed resiliency and played an undefeated innings of 48 runs, while Rashid Khan took a spectacular hat-trick to make it much worse for the two-time champions. Rinku Singh destroyed Gujarat’s hopes in the game’s last over by hitting Yash Dayal for five straight sixes, giving the Kolkata Knight Riders an outstanding victory.