GT vs MI: Sai Sudharsan retires out to make way for Rashid Khan; becomes third player to do so in IPL

While the Qualifier 2 between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians played at Ahmedabad's iconic Narendra Modi Stadium would largely be looked back on for Shubman Gill's timeless valour, what the match also witnessed was the third case of a player retiring out in the overall history of the tournament, and second in IPL 2023. 

Gujarat's talented middle-order batter Sai Sudharshan, who has had a praiseworthy run in the ongoing tournament, once again rose up to the occasion and played the role of an anchor to Gill's destructive knock, as the duo took charge of the proceedings following Wriddhiman Saha's dismissal on an individual score of 18. 

Sudharsan steadily drove his innings and perfectly complemented Gill's exploits, making it sure to not lose another wicket to let MI snatch the momentum away for GT. The duo went on to stitch a partnership of 138 runs for the second wicket before Gill was finally apprehended by Akash Madhwal. Sudharsan scored 43 runs in 31 balls and remained unbeaten, before being replaced by Rashid Khan ahead of the 20th over. Sudharsan thus became the only third player in IPL history to retire out, after Ravichandran Ashwin and Atharva Taide. He also became the first Mumbai player and second player of the ongoing season to retire out. 

Coming in for the final over, Rashid hit Chris Jordan straight down the ground for a powerful boundary on the very first ball and then scored a single off the only other ball he played to remain unbeaten on a score of five, as GT finished the first innings on a monumental total of 233/3.

Notably, Ashwin became the first player to retire himself out in the 2022 season of the IPL, when he made way for Riyan Parag in the match against Lucknow Super Giants. Atharva Taide, on the other hand, replicated the feat against Delhi Capitals in the ongoing edition.

Shubman Gill wreaks havoc in Ahmedabad with his third century of the season

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, who is living the form of his life in recent times, notched up yet another century in the crucial encounter against MI, thus, driving GT's assault in their own waters. Gill faced 60 balls, where he scored 129 runs at a strike rate of 215. He was dropped earlier in the innings by Tim David on a score of 30, following which, he didn't look back even for once as he initiated the carnage to add to David's repentance. 

Gill's innings included seven fours and as many as ten sixes. He was finally dismissed by Madhwal in the 17th over where Dvaid finally redeemed himself by catching Gill out. Skipper Hardik Pandya scored 28* to further help GT post an unassailable total on the board.

For MI, Madhwal and Piyush Chawla took one wicket each.