The SKY Show Enthralls Wankhede as Mumbai Indians Edge Past Gujarat Titans to Move Closer to IPL 2023 Playoffs

It was coming, it was due and it has finally arrived.

Suryakumar Yadav has already scored three T20I hundreds for India but was yet to get one in the IPL. The way he has been batting in the second half of the tournament and how he tore RCB apart with the sublime 83 earlier this week at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, he was getting close and he delivered the blow against one of the finest bowling attacks in the tournament – Gujarat Titans.

The right-hander walked into bat in the seventh over when Rashid Khan, in between a probing spell, scalped the MI skipper Rohit Sharma for 29 and wasted little time in sending his opening partner Ishan Kishan (31) back to the hut too. From 61/0, MI were 66/2 in the space of five deliveries and any normal batter would have dropped anchor to rebuild the innings and deal safely with the pair of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan. But Surya is no normal batter. He is a T20 maverick who can demoralise the bowlers by putting even the good balls away and leave the opposition captain confused with the acute scoring angles he explores on both sides of the wicket.

MI vs GT Match Highlights IPL 2023

In full flow, there’s no batter in the world better than Surya because of how he dominates the middle period of the game, where even the best struggle to maintain tempo. While the ability to just take off during the fag end of the innings is icing on the cake. After the quick departure of the two openers and Nehal Wadhera’s early exit, Surya and Vishnu Vinod (20-ball 30) kept the flow of runs steady but when Vinod was dismissed, Surya knew it was time to switch to flying gear.

Rashid Khan returned to bowl the last over of his spell, the 17th of the innings, and was welcomed with a precise sweep by Surya who muscled it to the ropes, all along the ground. Tim David tried to keep the scoring rate up but could only manage 5 off three and became Rashid’s fourth victim of the night. After over No. 17, the scoreboard read 164/5 and Surya was batting on 53 off 34 balls. Absolute madness unfolded in the last 18 deliveries as the right-hander went into slam-bang mode and punished Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Alzarri Joseph with disdain.

The 32-year-old raced to 87 off 44 balls and had six deliveries to end the long wait for that T20 hundred. Again, tall ask for any batter but just a walk in the park for this maverick who smashed two sixes off the last three deliveries and soaked in THE MOMENT. For THE MOMENT to arrive, three runs were left to be scored off the final delivery and Surya, in typical Surya fashion, went down on one knee and swept the widish delivery towards the backward square-leg region. It had enough legs to sail over the ropes and he got the cue to remove his helmet and soak in the thunderous applause at the venue he has played a lot of cricket from his junior days. 49-ball 103, laced with 11 boundaries and 6 sixes was a work of art and serves as a timely reminder of why he is still the best in the business.

Not long ago, he was struggling to score a single run but Surya battled his way out of the lean patch and hasn’t looked back. He certainly hasn’t looked the batter who, not long ago, had scores of 0(1), 0(1), 0(1), 15(16), 1(2), and 0(1) against his name and the turnaround well and truly started in another disappointing game against Delhi Capitals on April 11.

Also Read | IPL 2023: Ton-up SKY Stars as Mumbai Indians Beat Gujarat Titans Despite Rashid Khan’s Heroics

The turnaround

It was the 17th over of Mumbai Indians’ away fixture against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and Surya was stationed at a widish long-on position as Axar Patel and David Warner were looking to give the total a push after the sedate start. Axar was lucky to be still out there in the middle as Surya, in the 15th over, misjudged a catch in the deep and gave early life to the all-rounder who didn’t look back after the dropped opportunity. From six off 5 balls, the aggressive southpaw raced to 35 off just 16 when he presented another chance to Surya.

Axar miscued the big hit off Jason Behrendorff but the ball went through Surya’s hands, hit him on the face and went over the ropes for another maximum. Rohit Sharma had his hands on his head as Surya kneeled down and waited for the medical staff which rushed in to address the star batter. Everyone in the dugout wore a worried look as the right-hander commenced the slow walk back to dressing room from the boundary ropes.

It will be an understatement to say Surya was not riding luck as nothing was going his way. He received medical attention in the team room and was ready to bat with a swollen eye. He requested the coach to bat at No.4 and Mark Boucher was impressed with the character shown by the India batter. Yes, that game was another unfortunate golden duck as his signature pickup shot went straight to hand in the deep but the character shown in the dressing room was certainly a sign of things to come and clearly re-ignited the fire.

And, then came the captaincy in absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma in the game against KKR. Rohit played that game as an Impact Player and Surya led the troops in the middle. That time in the middle certainly kept him more involved and he showed glimpses of Surya of the old with a 25-ball 43. Since the golden duck against DC, Surya has now returned with scores of 83 vs RCB, 26 vs CSK, 66 vs PBKS, 55 vs RR, 23 vs GT, 57 vs PBKS, 7 vs SRH and 43 vs KKR. If the 83 vs RCB was a special hand, the hundred against GT has been a knock of the highest order as it has come against a potent bowling attack and a side which has dominated the 2023 edition of the IPL.

Meanwhile, in the second half, another T20 superstar shone on the big stage with the bat. Rashid, who spun his web with the ball in the first half, displayed his batting prowess in the chase to help Gujarat Titans cut short the difference between the two sides. The Afghanistan all-rounder smashed Mumbai Indians bowlers all around the park during his unbeaten 79-run knock. The MI bowlers found it tough bowling against him as he ended up hitting 10 sixes and 3 fours.

However, the win helped Mumbai Indians move to the third spot on the points table while the Titans remained intact at the top position.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians: 218 for 5 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 103 not out; Rashid Khan 4/30) Gujarat Titans: 191 for 8 in 20 overs ( Rashid Khan 79 not out; Akash Madhwal 3/31).