With Pant and Iyer out and with Axar unlikely to play, a huge portion of the team’s batting has effectively been wiped off

ICC World Test Championship, 2023

India

Australia

The lower-order has bailed India out often — but that might not happen in the final

India have had the opportunity to test the water in England more recently than Australia, but have they learnt a thing?

Rohit Sharma

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammad Shami

Shardul Thakur

Shubman Gill

Cheteshwar Pujara

Virat Kohli

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravindra Jadeja

Axar Patel

Third seamer, sloppy slip and more: learnings and conundrums for India

In this Newsletter, we take you through all important cricket updates, providing a one-stop destination to satiate the cricket nerd in you

Sai Sudharsan

MS Dhoni

Ibrahim Zadran

Ollie Pope

Ben Stokes

Brendon McCullum

Shweta Sehrawat

Kieron Pollard

Sunil Narine

Nicholas Pooran

Indian Premier League, 2023

Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka, 3 ODI Series, 2022

Ireland tour of England,One-off Tour Match, 2023

Chennai Super Kings

Afghanistan

England

Ireland

Trinbago Knight Riders

The Cricket.com Weekly - Edition 33

We analyze how Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis emerge as the most tormenting fast bowling duo to play Test cricket since 1990

Wasim Akram

Waqar Younis

Mitchell Starc

Josh Hazlewood

Dale Steyn

James Anderson

Stuart Broad

Vernon Philander

Allan Donald

Morne Morkel

Shaun Pollock

Courtney Walsh

Sir Curtly Ambrose

Pakistan

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis - The most deadly bowling duo

Josh Tongue holds his place following an impressive display against Ireland in the ongoing Test

Australia tour of England, 2023

Fit Anderson returns as England name squad for first two Ashes Tests

The Delhi Capitals batter did indeed turn his strength into his weakness

Prithvi Shaw

Delhi Capitals

Prithvi Shaw plays himself out of national contention with terrible IPL 2023

It&#39;s&nbsp;THAT time of the week, yet again!🔔Saturdays are probably one of the most loved days in the weekly calendar for all of us.&nbsp;Well, not because it is the weekend, but Saturdays mean only one thing for all the cricket fans and us at Cricket.com: The weekly wrap!🗞️&nbsp;So without further ado, let&#39;s jump straight into the topics and performances that created a buzz in the last seven days.&nbsp;And then there were two!After 70 league matches and three scintillating knockout fixtures, the Indian Premier League is down to the final two teams battling it out for the coveted trophy.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 875px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1662164406745305089&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fthe-cricketcom-weekly-edition-32-5272023-1685181053336&sessionId=b35842deacb0ed8f14ae8a7589c1a153ea201544&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1662164406745305089"></iframe></div>With the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad set to be packed to capacity to witness his glorious chapter in the extravaganza, Gujarat Titans will lock horns against Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash.&nbsp;It is the Master vs the Apprentice4️⃣-time champions vs current 🏆 holdersIt cannot get any better than this for the finale!💔 for RCB, yet againIn the last edition of the Newsletter, the tournament was poised in a riveting fashion as Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore were in contention for the fourth spot in the points table.&nbsp;While the Rohit Sharma-led outfit recorded an emphatic win against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, Bangalore failed to get past the Titans in the final league game and were stranded on 14 points, missing out on a place in the playoffs.&nbsp;<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vawnhAvussQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>The wait for the trophy continues for the ardent fans of the Royal Challengers and Virat Kohli.Make way for the Prince!The seven days of the competition witnessed batting of the highest class as Cameron Green and Virat Kohli smashed blazing hundreds to lead their team&#39;s charge in the tournament.However, the duo&#39;s heroics were overshadowed by a certain Prince who arrived in SOME fashion to create a league of his own.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685180102225-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The right-handed batter scored a century against Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy stadium to knock them out of the competition and followed it up with yet another masterclass in the second Qualifier to stun the Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;🖐️star MadhwalOne of the reasons behind Mumbai&#39;s sedate start in the tournament was the lack of experience in the bowling unit. While this still ain&#39;t their strongest suit, the five-time champions unearthed a star in Akash Madhwal.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1661605858848182273&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fthe-cricketcom-weekly-edition-32-5272023-1685181053336&sessionId=b35842deacb0ed8f14ae8a7589c1a153ea201544&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1661605858848182273"></iframe></div>The right-arm seamer wreaked havoc in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants and scalped five wickets in 3.3 overs to etch his name in the record books.&nbsp;What else made the headlines?Australia deal with a Lanning-blowThe Australian women&#39;s cricket team will be without their regular skipper Meg Lanning for the Ashes as she has been ruled out due to medical reasons.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 801px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1662263350640934912&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fthe-cricketcom-weekly-edition-32-5272023-1685181053336&sessionId=b35842deacb0ed8f14ae8a7589c1a153ea201544&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1662263350640934912"></iframe></div>The right-handed batter led Australia to the T20 World Cup championship and also featured in the inaugural edition of the Women&#39;s Premier League for the Delhi Capitals.&nbsp;While the timeline of her return to sport is yet to be decided, Alyssa Healy will lead the team in her absence, with Tahlia McGrath as her deputy.&nbsp;Is the Asia Cup really happening?Well, the question continues to haunt the majority of cricket fans as speculation surrounding the venue for this edition of the Asia Cup is gathering steam.&nbsp;With the Presidents of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan Cricket Board set to grace the final match of the Indian Premier League, the <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/asia-cup-venue-to-be-decided-after-ipl-2023-final-5252023-1685023992770" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fate of the tournament</a> will be decided as the dust settles on the extravaganza.&nbsp;What&#39;s up with Jason Roy?👀&nbsp;With the increase in T20 franchise cricket around the globe, most players who ply their trade in only one format for their country might be lured into giving up their national contracts.&nbsp;And Jason Roy is one of them.&nbsp;The England batter has agreed to cancel his contract with England to play in the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket, the England Cricket Board confirmed.&nbsp;However, in a lengthy message to his fans on social media, Roy stated his playing for England will remain his top-most priority.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 753px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1661754570459205634&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fthe-cricketcom-weekly-edition-32-5272023-1685181053336&sessionId=b35842deacb0ed8f14ae8a7589c1a153ea201544&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1661754570459205634"></iframe></div>&quot;Representing my country continues to be my proudest moment as a professional cricketer. I hope to play for England for many more years, and that remains my priority,&quot;&nbsp;Well, is this the way forward for the T20 specialists?&nbsp;Only time will answer this question, but for now, let&#39;s dig into another piece of controversy.&nbsp;Devon Thomas suspended for corruptionThe International Cricket Council has <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/west-indies-devon-thomas-provisionally-suspended-for-corruption-5232023-1684854456380" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">provisionally suspended&nbsp;</a>West Indies cricketer Devon Thomas with immediate effect after charging him under their Anti-Corruption Code of Conduct.&nbsp;The 33-year-old last played for West Indies in December 2022. and featured in one Test, 19 ODIs and 12 T20Is. He has 14 days from 23 May 2023 to respond to the charges made against him.&nbsp;Articles in FocusShubman Gill: The Prince that was promisedShubman Gill&#39;s talent has never been the question. The chatter always surrounded his strike rate, with his ability to convert a start into a big score or clear the boundaries with much more ease.&nbsp;And, he&#39;s killed all that three birds with one stone: IPL 2023.&nbsp;Here&#39;s Aakash Sivasubramaniam on the<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/shubman-gill-the-prince-that-was-promised-5262023-1685139163100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;evolution of Shubman Gill</a>.&nbsp;The journey of Akash MadhwalWhen a young right-arm seamer was dismantling the top-order of the Super Giants, most people around the world had only one question.&nbsp;Who is Akash Madhwal?🧐&nbsp;Well, here is your answer as Shubh Aggarwal traces his <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/madhwals-late-but-rapid-rise-engineer-mumbai-indians-resurgence-5252023-1684992314155" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">journey from tennis ball cricket to the biggest league in the world</a>.&nbsp;What makes Chennai Super Kings so special?In the IPL, there is a rather simple way of determining the excitement quotient of an opening pair. Any partnership that has neutrals hooked to the Television by 7:29 PM, that has them genuinely thrilled by the prospect of watching the powerplay, is a 10/10 when it comes to entertainment.&nbsp;Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad are not that pair and will probably never be. They, if anything, sit on the other side of the spectrum.&nbsp;However, they are delivering wins, and CSK fans would happily take a relatively &#39;non-entertaining&#39; opening pair if they end up winning the title.&nbsp;Here&#39;s Anirudh Suresh with his masterpiece: <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/the-underrated-underappreciated-efficiency-of-the-ruturaj-conway-partnership-5242023-1684889675268" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The underrated, underappreciated efficiency of the Ruturaj-Conway pair</a>.Way forward for Delhi Capitals&nbsp;Ricky Ponting has been at the helm of the coaching duties since 2018. However, Delhi&rsquo;s trophy cabinet is still empty. He started with the wooden spoon in 2018, and after a brief rise, things seem to have returned to ground zero.&nbsp;And here is a Delhi lad trying to figure out the <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/way-forward-for-delhi-capitals-reset-button-or-smart-squad-upgrade-5212023-1684639050661" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">way forward for Delhi Capitals</a>.&nbsp;Watch this<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4ku7IkLDTzg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Cameron Green

Meg Lanning

Devon Thomas

Jason Roy

Akash Madhwal

Gujarat Titans

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Mumbai Indians

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Cricket.com Weekly - Edition 32

Gujarat Titans stormed their way to their second final of the Indian Premier League after comprehensively defeating Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in the second Qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, May 26.&nbsp;After being asked to bat first, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill </a>smashed 129 off 60 deliveries, studded with seven boundaries and ten massive sixes to power the team to 233 runs in the first innings.&nbsp;In the post-match press conference, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/61738/vijay-shankar/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vijay Shankar </a>heaped praises on Gill and said, &quot;In the second game of the season, I told that he has amazing work ethics, and that is why he is one of the best cricketers right now. The way he is batting right now is just unbelievable.&quot;&quot;The way he practices is something really important. He does what he wants and practices with purpose, and every time he turns up to the game, it is so lovely to see him switch on from ball one, which is exceptional.&quot;&ldquo;He is able to do both. As a batter, when you know that you can hit sixes as well as rotate the strike. His biggest strength is finding the gaps in the powerplay.&quot;&quot;He can play the ball in the gaps and hit those boundaries whenever needed. He is someone with everything and knows when to use what, and that&rsquo;s a highlight of being a top player and shows how it is done,&rdquo; he added.The 29-year-old also credited skipper<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Hardik Pandya</a> and the team management for keeping things very simple and backing the players, which has helped them produce consistent results.&nbsp;&quot;He is pretty aggressive, but at the same time, he is pretty chill as well because he wants everyone to give their best and enjoy the game. He has shown the confidence in every individual in this team to come out and take up those challenges. When you have the backing from your captain and your coach, then you feel really comfortable,&quot; he said.The 32-year-old returned to the league after spending months away from the game due to injury and scored 301 runs in 10 innings at an average of 37.63 and a strike rate of 160.1.&nbsp;&quot;I think this is one of the best seasons for me. Coming out of injury and working a lot on my mental aspect of the game and physical aspect as well,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;I put in a lot of hard work in the last six months, and it taught me a lot of things. I was finally able to find what I was missing, and when I came here and started practising with Gary and other support staff, &nbsp;I was able to explore a lot of new things and adapt to a lot which helped in scoring runs for the team,&quot; Shankar added.&nbsp;The defending champions will face <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3676/ms-dhoni/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MS Dhoni</a> and his Super Kings in the summit clash on Sunday, May 28, and Shankar believes the team have the capability to clinch back-to-back titles.&nbsp;&quot;We have worked on all the aspects of our game, and it is just about going out there and giving our best. We did well in the first game when we played against Chennai here, and it is very important for us to enjoy the game as it is a very big moment for us.&quot;&quot;The wicket is really good, and we do have a bit of an advantage with the home conditions. Final is a great platform for us, and we want to enjoy the moment because we are playing back-to-back finals which is a great thing to happen,&quot; he concluded.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The all-arounder also shared insights on the leadership qualities of Hardik Pandya and what makes them so successful 

Vijay Shankar

Hardik Pandya

Shubman's biggest strength is finding the gaps in the powerplay: Shankar

Gujarat Titans recorded an emphatic 62-run win against Mumbai Indians in the second Qualifier to set up a final clash with the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, May 28, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.After being asked to bat first,<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Shubman Gill</a> slammed his third century of the season as he smashed 129 runs off 60 deliveries to power the home team to 233 runs in the first innings.&nbsp;In reply, the five-time champions never really got going in the run chase and lost wickets at regular intervals to eventually succumb to a massive defeat.&nbsp;In the post-match press conference, Mark Boucher, the Head Coach of the side rued lack of discipline by the bowling unit that helped the Titans post a formidable first innings total.&nbsp;&quot;233 was a bit high, to be fair. Probably 25 to 30 runs too much. It was a little bit unsettling because we weren&#39;t quite sure how<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/64712/ishan-kishan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Ishan</a> was going to go.&quot;&quot;Nehal, we knew that he could do the job. In the practice games that we played, he actually opened the batting, and he played fairly aggressively, which we needed; someone to go out and play that way tonight. It didn&#39;t come up for us, but it&#39;s T20 cricket, where you have to adapt to the conditions.&nbsp;&ldquo;We lost Nehal early. I think Green was the one that also unsettled us a bit, he got a blow to the arm, and he came off. Thankfully he was able to go back out and bat for us and put us in a decent position up until sort of like the 15th over,&quot; Boucher said.&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, we just lost too many wickets, and I think that is our downfall from the batting perspective tonight. We gave it a good go right up until the 15th over. If one of our batters that were in there had batted right to the end, it might have been closer than the end result,&quot; he added.&nbsp;The former South African player was pleased with the performance of the side despite going down in the Qualifier and stated that reaching the playoffs was a great achievement given the injuries surrounding the team.&nbsp;&ldquo;First of all, the experience has been fantastic, and I have really enjoyed it. I got a good group of guys in the dressing room, and the support staff is great as well, with lots of experience. It is a very tough competition, and it takes a lot to win a game of cricket.&quot;&quot;There are a lot of good teams that you come up against, and the results can go either way, so it&#39;s quite a stressful competition. But to get to the playoffs is a great achievement. Obviously disappointed about tonight&#39;s result but I think we fought right to the end,&quot; he added.&nbsp;While the batting unit of Mumbai has been firing in most of the games, the performance of their captain <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3852/rohit-sharma/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a> was a cause of concern for the team management.&nbsp;However, Boucher backed the right-handed batter to return to his best very soon. &ldquo;Rohit is a quality player. What I do think is that he led from the front in regards to driving the sort of way we wanted to play. I think our batting this season was fantastic,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;We went out at the beginning of the season, and we looked at our stats and thought we could improve in certain phases of the game. And the captain is the best person to go out there and drive that vision as well.&quot;&quot;So if you look at how we did in the powerplays compared to last season, from 7 to 10, you know we really upped the scoring rates, and we played a good positive brand of cricket, which will stand us in good stead for the future because the guys will gain a lot of confidence from that.&quot;&quot;Unfortunately, T20 game is tough at times, and we were outplayed today. Gill played fantastic innings, and unfortunately, we couldn&rsquo;t execute on the night, which happens in T20 cricket.&rdquo;&quot;I think it&#39;s time to just sit back, reflect a bit, take the emotion out of it and make some good sound cricketing decisions once everything&#39;s calmed down and once we understand the future of certain individuals and where they are from a fitness perspective,&quot; he concluded.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Head Coach of the side heaped praises on the batting unit and also backed Rohit Sharma to get back to his best after a lukewarm season

Nehal Wadhera

Ishan Kishan

Tilak Varma

Disappointed about the result but we fought right to the end: Boucher

About 8,000 years ago, Westeros was hit with a period of darkness and bitter cold called the &ldquo;Long Night&rdquo;. It didn&#39;t end there, with the White Walkers seeking to end all life by making people part of their dead army.&nbsp;But then there was a hero who went by the name of Azor Ahai, who forged Lightbringer, a sword made of fire that radiated heat torching everyone to death. While across all the seasons of Game of Thrones, never did we see a glimpse of the Azor Ahai, he might very well go by the name of <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a>.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685139011523-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Gill is that prince that was promised. Everyone who were on the receiving end of his sword were torched to death. If Lightbringer was Azor&rsquo;s sword, Gill&rsquo;s CEAT bat was his Lightbringer, it brought life to Ahmedabad, and it torched Mumbai Indians to death.&nbsp;Westeros is fictional, and so is Azor.&nbsp;But Ahmedabad and Gill aren&rsquo;t.&nbsp;*********Gill&rsquo;s talent has never been the question. The chatter always surrounded his strike-rate, with his ability to convert a start into a big score, or just clear the boundaries with much more ease.&nbsp;He&rsquo;s killed all that three birds with one stone: IPL 2023. With every innings, he&rsquo;s got King Kohli up on his feet, applauding from wherever has had access to the television screens. In more ways than one, there is a strong possibility that Kohli sees himself in Gill. The comparisons aren&rsquo;t spooky, it isn&rsquo;t unreal.&nbsp;Both are cut from the cloth of the highest quality. Both are poster boys of Indian cricket, if one was in the yester-decade, Gill is the one that is now on the walls of several budding cricketers. The entire world is waiting and applauding the youngster&rsquo;s efforts to grow big and bigger in stature. It is almost like this is a project that India have built.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685138691537-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Everyone wants a piece of it.&nbsp;And statistically, Gill has shut up every critic that ever was, in a way that has now converted every one from non-believers to believers, including Imagine Dragons. But this transformation hasn&rsquo;t been unnatural, if anything, this transformation was something that evidently the next step, it was only a matter of time.&nbsp;When Gujarat Titans lost the toss, and were put into bat first, there was a certain air of uncertainty that surrounded them. The team was coming on the back of a thunderous loss against Chennai Super Kings, and furthermore, had an opener - Wriddhiman Saha - who was struggling for consistency. It was a surface that had a spongy bounce, and Mumbai Indians&rsquo; bowling unit was very sharp in their lines and lengths.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685138735117-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">That was evidently visible in the way he approached the innings, 31 off 20. And it was that moment that changed everything around, a dropped catch from one of Mumbai Indians&rsquo; trusted fielders, Tim David. Everything after that was like water from a tap, never stopped.&nbsp;But it was a different tap.&nbsp;*********Let&rsquo;s put Gill&rsquo;s season in numbers. Until the start of this year, 2022 was his best-ever IPL year, with 483 runs averaging 34.5, and a strike-rate of 132.3. That was a substantial rise from the previous year when he scored 478 runs, with a strike-rate of 118.9. It was in the right direction but then a leap like this wasn&rsquo;t ever expected.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685138771037-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">It was always on the cards but to expect something like this was beyond the realm. In IPL 2023 alone, Gill has smacked 33 sixes, and hit 78 fours, with a boundary every 4.9 deliveries. Now what makes this fact astonishing is that he&rsquo;s only hit 80 sixes in his entire IPL career, including the 33.&nbsp;Before this year, all he had hit in the IPL was 47 sixes. That&rsquo;s ideally what has differentiated him from all the other seasons, that the sixes are now coming naturally to him. As Harsha Bhogle pointed out in the mid-innings break, he&rsquo;s hitting a six every two and a half overs, as compared to five and a half overs, a substantial difference.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685138813743-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Gill&rsquo;s issues with run-rate too have been well worth the notice. But this year, there&rsquo;s been Yashasvi Jaiswal and then Gill, and then the others. In 16 innings this season, the right-handed batter averages 60.79, and if that&rsquo;s not astonishing enough, he has a strike-rate of 156.4, the second-best for any opener in the league this year.It doesn&rsquo;t end there.&nbsp;What Gill has aced this year has been how he has upped the aesthetics of batting in the shortest format. Until the start of this year, Gill had no centuries in the shortest format, far away from scoring one. But just this year, he has registered three IPL centuries, and one T20I centuries, all of which are one better than the other.&nbsp;If those three until Friday wasn&rsquo;t enough, he brought out his fourth on Friday, a knock that will put any of the other knocks to shame. If there was the cross-batted slap off Cameron Green&rsquo;s bowling for a six, there was a slice off Chris Jordan. Both shots were one better than the other.&nbsp;If your taste buds did not align with one out of the two, then there was the delicacy that he served straight out of the batting manual against Akash Madhwal. For those who wanted to see a dose against spin, his innings against Piyush Chawla was truly a masterclass of how much time was at his disposal. If you had 24 hours, just like any other normal human being, Gill&rsquo;s innings looked like he had 38. It was those 14 extra hours that made him look extra special.&nbsp;*********You possibly can assume that there&rsquo;s nothing more that Gill could have accomplished in the last few days. But then the list continues. If his technique, footwork, batting acumen, shot-making abilities and sixes were a testimony to his talent, then there was something called consistency.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685138856097-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Over the years, people are either one or the other. And the ones who are in the exclusive club of both - are genuinely special and rare. Gill belongs to that exclusive club, one where cricketers turn themselves into legends by converting their talents into legacy.&nbsp;Game of Thrones might have never witnessed Azor Ahai but the fans of the Indian Premier League are well and truly blessed to see Shubman Gill, the prince that was promised. He&#39;s well and truly alive and kicking.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

For the longest time, the assumption was that the prince that was promised was Azor Ahai but nope, it was Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill: The Prince that was promised

Shubman Gill shines again with another century; his third in the IPL. Thanks to his efforts, Gujarat posted a mammoth total of 233. While defending, Mohit Sharma shone with a five-for. There were plenty of stats, and here are a few of them.Gill&#39;s another day out with records- This IPL, Gill now has 851 runs, the third-most by a batter in a season of IPL. He is one of four batters to score 800+ runs in a single season.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685135447918-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- He has scored 533 runs in Ahmedabad, the second-most for a batter in an IPL season at a single venue. This is second only to Virat Kohli&#39;s 597 runs in 2016 in Bengaluru.&nbsp;- Gill now has three centuries in this season. Only two batters have hit more centuries than he has in a single season of IPL.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685135542919-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- At 23 years and 260 days, the Gujarat opener became the youngest to hit a century in the IPL playoffs. He is the first batter to hit a century in this stage before turning 25.&nbsp;- His three centuries are the most for a batter in the IPL before turning 25. Sanju Samson had two (102 vs RPS in 2017 &amp; 102* vs SRH in &nbsp;2019).- With this century, Gill has the most tons (5) for a batter in all T20s before turning 25. He has three IPL tons, one T20I ton (against Sri Lanka, 2023) and the other in Syed Mushtaq Ali (against Karnataka, 2022). Glenn Phillips had four.&nbsp;- Gill&#39;s 129 from 60 balls is the highest individual score by a batter in an IPL playoffs game.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685135490949-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- Among Indian batters in the IPL, only KL Rahul against Royal Challengers Bangalore (132*) has a higher score than Gill.&nbsp;- Tonight, Gill smashed ten sixes, the most by a batter in an IPL playoffs innings.&nbsp;- Overall, among Indian batters in the IPL, only Murali Vijay has hit more sixes in an innings (11 against Rajasthan Royals in 2010). Two other batters, Shreyas Iyer (against Kolkata Knight Riders) and Sanju Samson (against Bangalore), had hit ten sixes in 2018.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685135582927-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- In all T20s, Gill joins Michael Klinger in an elite list of hitting three centuries in four innings.Mohit does it again for Gujarat- In the IPL, Mohit becomes the second bowler after Akash Madhwal, in the previous game, to bag a five-for in an IPL playoffs encounter.&nbsp;- Mohit&#39;s spell of 5/10 is also the joint-second-best spell alongside Jasprit Bumrah (5/10 against Kolkata in 2022) for an Indian in the IPL. Anil Kumble (against Rajasthan in 2009) and Madhwal (against Lucknow in 2009) hold the record for the best figures (5/5).- In his spell, he conceded only ten runs, the joint-second-least runs given away in a five-wicket haul in the IPL.- Mohit bowled 2.2 overs for his five-for. Only Andre Russell, against the same opponents in 2021, had bowled fewer overs to achieve this feat.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685137129937-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- Mohit is the first Gujarat bowler to bag a five-wicket haul in the IPL. Mohammed Shami against Delhi Capitals in 2023 had figures of 4/11, the previous best.&nbsp;Surya shines bright- With 605 runs to his name, Suryakumar Yadav became the second Mumbai batter to score 600+ runs in an IPL season. &nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685135690929-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- In IPL 2023, he scored those runs at a strike rate of 181.1, the best for an Indian batter with 500+ runs in a single season. &nbsp;- Surya had six fifties to his name this IPL (50s/100s 5/1), the joint-most for Mumbai, alongside Lendl Simmons in 2015 (50s/100s - 6/0).&nbsp;Few other stats- Mohammed Shami bagged his 17th wicket in the powerplay this season, the most by a bowler.&nbsp;- The top three wickets takers, Shami (28), Rashid Khan (27), and Mohit Sharma (24), are all from Gujarat; only the third instance of the top two wicket-takers being from the same team.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685135725408-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">- Gujarat posted 233/3 while batting first, the highest in an IPL playoffs encounter. This is also their highest total in the IPL.&nbsp;- Two Mumbai bowlers conceded 50+ runs in this innings, Madhwal (0/52) and Chris Jordan (0/56). In all IPL, this is only the second such instance. Against Bangalore in 2015, Bumrah (0/52) and Hardik Pandya (0/51) went for 50+ runs.&nbsp;- In this IPL, Mumbai bowlers conceded at an economy of 9.6, the worst for a team in an IPL season.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

A few noteworthy stats from the second Qualifier of IPL 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians

Mohit Sharma

Suryakumar Yadav

Stats: Gill's 5th ton before turning 25; Mohit registers best spell for GT

<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a> has been long earmarked for great things, but even his most ardent fan wouldn&rsquo;t have dreamt of the youngster having the kind of year he&rsquo;s had so far.&nbsp;Gill struck his maiden ODI ton in Thiruvananthapuram against Sri Lanka in January, and he&rsquo;s since struck seven more tons across competitions, including a double-ton in ODI cricket against New Zealand and a ton in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.The latest of those eight tons came in Ahmedabad on Friday as the 23-year-old played his best IPL knock, yet, to propel his side Gujarat Titans into the final for the second year in a row.<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya</a>, GT skipper, was full of praise for Gill, and asserted that the youngster is destined to become a cricketing superstar.&ldquo;He will be a superstar in international and franchise cricket,&rdquo; Pandya said at the post-match presentation.Pandya described Gill&rsquo;s innings on Friday as one of the youngster&rsquo;s finest knocks, and claimed that, at times, it felt like Gill was having a net session. On the night, Gill finished with 129 off just 60 balls, an innings that single-handedly downed Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2.&ldquo;I think the clarity and confidence he is carrying is amazing,&rdquo; Pandya said of Gill.&ldquo;Today&#39;s innings was one of the finest, he never looked rushed. It felt like someone was throwing balls and he was hitting.&rdquo;GT&rsquo;s MVP with the bat showed up against MI, so did their MVP with the ball. Rashid Khan, the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition, was tasked with defending the humongous target and he delivered big time, taking out a rampant Tilak Varma (43 off 14) before removing the dangerous Tim David in his final over.&nbsp;Pandya showered praise on the main man.&ldquo;Rashid has been amazing, especially when we&#39;ve not been in a commanding position,&rdquo; the GT skipper said.&ldquo;I think we&#39;ve spoken enough about him. He&#39;s been the man I can rely on when the team is in a tough situation.&rdquo;Many termed GT&rsquo;s triumph in 2022 a &lsquo;one-off&rsquo; and a &lsquo;fluke&rsquo;, but they&rsquo;ve proven every single one of their critics wrong by making it to the final twice in two years. And with a win on Sunday, they&rsquo;ll become the first team in IPL history to have won two titles in its first two years.It won&rsquo;t be easy against Chennai Super Kings, but skipper Pandya believes his side are capable of going all the way.&ldquo;We have to play good cricket, put in our 100%. Knockouts could go either way, but very excited for the final.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Hardik Pandya described Shubman Gill’s innings on Friday as one of the youngster’s finest knocks

Gill will be a superstar in both international and franchise cricket: Hardik Pandya

At 98/1 after 11 overs, having amassed 34 off the preceding 3 overs, Gujarat Titans had momentum on their side to go big, particularly with Shubman Gill unbeaten on 59, but few, if any, saw the onslaught that followed coming.<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3852/rohit-sharma/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma </a>brought his best pacer of the season, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/74055/akash-madhwal/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Akash Madhwal</a>, into the attack, and much to everyone&rsquo;s shock, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a> absolutely went berserk, taking 21 off the rookie speedster.&nbsp;Gill went SIX, SIX, SIX in the space of five balls to rock Mumbai and Madhwal, and the pick of the three shots proved to be a remarkably authoritative pull on the second ball, which was timed to perfection. In the span of an over, Gill went from 59 (37) to 79 (42).The over turned out to be a game-changer for GT as they went on to post 233, but, post match, Gill asserted that the over was the turning point for him too. The three sixes, he said, made it clear to him that it was &lsquo;his day&rsquo;. The 23-year-old eventually went on to post 129, the highest individual score ever in IPL history in the playoffs.&ldquo;For me, it is playing ball to ball, over to over. The over where I hit three sixes gave me the momentum to go big. That&#39;s when I realised it could be my day,&rdquo; Gill, named Player of the Match for his efforts, said.&ldquo;It was a good wicket to bat on and I wanted to maximise scoring.&rdquo;This IPL, Gill has taken his T20 batting to a whole new level, and the biggest area of improvement has been six-hitting. In 16 innings last year, the right-hander hit 11 sixes but this time around, he&rsquo;s tripled the tally (33). In fact, Gill this season has hit more sixes than he did across the previous three IPL seasons combined (32).But when asked if he&rsquo;d consciously taken a decision to start hitting more sixes, Gill said &lsquo;no&rsquo; and revealed that the show he&rsquo;s been putting on is a reflection of the self-belief that currently exists within him.&ldquo;Not a conscious decision (to hit more sixes), you keep inventing as a batter but for me the belief is more important.&nbsp;&ldquo;I am coming off a good international season as well. Had a good season last time as well. When I start well, I feel confident I can score well. From the last WI tour, I think I have shifted a gear, I got injured before the last IPL but I have been working on my game.&nbsp;I have worked on a few areas and made technical changes ahead of the NZ series after the T20I World Cup.&rdquo;Long dubbed the &lsquo;next big thing&rsquo; in Indian cricket, expectations from the bat of Gill are at an all time high. But according to him, all the outside noise gets automatically shut the moment he steps on the field.&ldquo;Expectations are something that follow you outside the ropes, but once you step on the field it is all about trying how to contribute for the team,&rdquo; Gill said.Does he believe this is his best ever knock in this competition?&ldquo;I think this was probably my best innings so far in the IPL.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Shubman Gill went SIX, SIX, SIX in the space of five balls to rock Mumbai Indians and Akash Madhwal

Knew it was my day when I hit Madhwal for three sixes: Shubman Gill

It did not quite happen for the Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad on Friday as they were blown away by a rampant Gujarat Titans unit, with the charge being led by none other than Shubman Gill, but skipper <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3852/rohit-sharma/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a> is neither disheartened nor disappointed, and is content with his side&rsquo;s showing this season.After finishing bottom of the table last season, things looked bleak for MI after losing the first two matches of this campaign, but the five-time champs stitched together an impressive campaign that saw them finish fourth and down Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator before falling to defending champions GT in the second Qualifier.And it was a resurgence that was fueled by the batters. Rohit endured a season to forget, but IPL 2023 saw Cameron Green, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera and Tim David all enjoy satisfying campaigns. MI&rsquo;s campaign came to an end on Friday but they exited the competition having scored more runs (2,945) and quicker (RR 9.5) than any other side.Rohit, in the aftermath of the GT loss, saw positives, and positives only, heading into next season.&ldquo;Playing this game and qualifying as 3rd gives us a lot of confidence, our batting has been the biggest positive, some of the younger players especially and take it to next season and see what you can do,&rdquo; Rohit said at the post-match presentation.On the night, Mumbai won the toss and opted to chase, but they were mauled by a ruthless Gill, who smashed his highest IPL score (129) to propel GT to 233.Mumbai were in the chase until the 15th over, but an eye-watering collapse, triggered by Mohit Sharma, saw them eventually fall short by 62 runs.Rohit reckoned GT ended up getting 25 too many.&ldquo;It was a great total, Shubman batted really well. The wicket was really good. They got 25 extra, with the batting we had we were quite positive when we went in. Couldn&#39;t stitch enough partnerships.&nbsp;&ldquo;Green and Surya batted well but we lost our way. We spoke about giving it a good crack, we lost a couple of wickets in the powerplay and did not get the momentum when chasing a target like that.&nbsp;&ldquo;We wanted one batter just like how Shubman batted till the end, and you never know - one side is shorter and the wicket was good, anything can happen, credit where it is due, Gujarat played well.&rdquo;During the second innings, a freak injury to Ishan Kishan &mdash; who suffered a bizarre concussion &mdash; forced Mumbai to rejig their batting order. While middle-order batter Wadhera was forced to open, Vishnu Vinod had to bat at No.6 after coming in as concussion sub. There was another forced mid-innings rejig due to a blow to the arm suffered by Green.Rohit admitted that the disruptions were not ideal, but admitted that MI were outplayed on the night, and that GT deserved to win.&ldquo;Kishan&#39;s concussion was unexpected. It was a last-minute change. We had to adapt, to different conditions and situations. Not looking at that though. We did not play well to win the game.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Mumbai Indians skipper, in the aftermath of the GT loss, saw positives, and positives only, heading into next season

Proud to have come this far, batting has been a huge positive: Rohit Sharma

Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Qualifier 2, IPL 2023: Live-Blog

Gill's 129 and Mohit's five-for knock MI out in Qualifier 2

FantasyVenue:&nbsp; Narendra Modi Stadium, AhmedabadAverage first innings score in last three years: 17040% of the games have been won by team batting firstPacers have picked 67.24% of the wickets to fall here. Spinners have picked 32.76% of the wickets.*all data from last 3 yearsSuggested Team<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685030915145-articleimg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/225989/gt-vs-mi-qualifier-2-indian-premier-league-2023/create-team" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cricket.com&rsquo;s Fantasy Research Centre</a>. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XIIn-form Players Captain<img src="https://images-devcdc.imgix.net/test-1685020704464" style="width: 277px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In-form Players Vice Captain<img src="https://images-devcdc.imgix.net/test-1685020708572" style="width: 277px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Check out all our <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/225989/match/fantasy-stats/players" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fantasy Stats</a> for the recent fantasy performance of all players set to be involved in the game.Horses for coursesTop Run scorers at this venue<img src="https://images-devcdc.imgix.net/test-1685020714134" style="width: 277px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The above graphic tells you the top batters at the venue in the past three years. Click <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/225989/match/fantasy-stats/stadium" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to check the full list categorized on different parameters - runs, strike-rate, batting average etc.Top wicket takers at this venue<img src="https://images-devcdc.imgix.net/test-1685020711117" style="width: 277px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The above graphic tells you the top bowlers at the venue in the past three years. Click <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/225989/match/fantasy-stats/stadium" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to check the full list categorized on different parameters - wickets taken, bowling average, bowling economy etc.Grand League Punts&gt; With 21 wickets, Piyush Chawla has the second most wickets by a spinner in this season. While the Ahmedabad track has &nbsp;not supported spinners a lot, you can pick Chawla as a punt to make big bucks.&nbsp;&gt; Similarly, Noor Ahmad has had an excellent IPL season but in Ahmedabad, he has picked only five wickets in as many games. His average here (29.4) is the highest among all venues. But like Chawla, you can pick him as the differentiator in your side.&nbsp;&nbsp;&gt; Cameron Green has been in excellent batting form, scoring a hundred two games ago. He should relish the batting friendly track in Ahmedabad. Adding his bowling value, he can be a good captaincy option.Probable XIsGujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Hardik Pandya ( c ), David Miller, Dasun Shanaka, Rahul Tewatia, Darshan Nalkande (IP), Vijay Shankar (IP), Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Shami, Mohit SharmaMumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma ( c ), Ishan Kishan (wk), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera (IP), Chris Jordan, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal (IP)IP = Impact PlayerPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few tips that could help you create your fantasy XI for the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians

GT vs MI T20 Qualifier 2, Indian Premier League, 2023 - Commentary

GT VS MI,Qualifier 2

Summary

Commentary

Scorecard

Dugout

Highlights

MatchInfo

Articles

Videos