Shubman Gill’s second successive century trumped Virat Kohli’s equally rare feat as Gujarat Titans knocked Royal Challengers Bangalore out of the 2023 Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) with a fine win that ended in the early hours of Monday at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
Chasing 198 for a victory that was built around former India captain Kohli’s unbeaten 101 (61 balls, 13 fours, 1 six), Gill plundered eight sixes and five boundaries in a high-octane 104 not out from 52 deliveries to lead his side over the line with five deliveries to spare.
The result meant that RCB failed to gain the two points they needed to finish in the top four and were therefore eliminated as Gujarat reaffirmed their number one status after the regular season that drew to a conclusion with this game, the 70th of a campaign that began in March.
And what a finish it was too to the round-robin stage with the rare double of Kohli and Gill. Only two players had previously managed successive IPL tons - Shikhar Dhawan (2020) and Jos Buttler (2022) - and for that record to be matched twice in the same match was extraordinary.
Kohli had led the way earlier, almost single-handedly propelling his team to 197 for five after they had lost the toss and were put in to bat.
The game was in danger of not happening at the start due to heavy rain in the area, with a wash-out threatening to eliminate RCB after Mumbai Indians leapfrogged them into fourth place on 16 points with a big eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the earlier game.
But after a 30-minute delay, the hosts got going nicely thanks to captain Faf du Plessis (28), the competition’s leading run-scorer, and Kohli.
The pair put on 67 in just seven overs, before the South African was caught behind off pick of the bowlers Noor Ahmad (23-9).
Glenn Maxwell (11) and Mahipal Lomror (1) also departed cheaply to extinguish the good start by their side as the scoreboard suddenly read 85 for three.
Michael Bracewell was promoted up the order and attacked briefly with his 26 off 16 balls. However, his team lost two more quick wickets and found themselves in a bit of trouble early in the 14th over on 133 for five.
Kohli too may have been slightly concerned, but the former India captain then found a foil in Anuj Rawat (23* off 15 balls) with the pair scoring 64 in the final 5.4 overs, including the former getting to his three figures – his seventh IPL ton.
RCB needed early wickets if they wanted to be in with a chance but barring the dismissal of Wriddhiman Saha (12), removed by Mohammed Siraj (2-32), they never came.
Gill and Vijay Shankar (53 off 35 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) put together a stand of 123 for the second wicket to put their side on track for victory, and despite a late wobble, the former held his nerve.
He stayed in touch with the run rate and sealed the win and his hundred by thrashing Wayne Parnell over long-on for six.
TEAMS:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Michael Bracewell, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Harshal Patel, Wayne Parnell, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Mohammed Siraj.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wkt), Hardik Pandya (capt), David Miller, Dasun Shanaka, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal.