IPL 2023: Five game-changing moments in the tournament so far

2. Vijay Shankar goes berserk Varun Chakravarthy’s over

Confident Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) went against emboldened GT at their home ground Eden Gardens, in match number 39. With luck favouring Hardik Pandya at the toss, KKR were put to bat first. On the fine batting surface, the top order of the hosts struggled but their opener and wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz came heavily on GT bowlers and helped his team to set a target of 180 for the defending champions. 

Coming out to chase the total, Titans got an aggressive start from Shubman Gill. Despite beginning well, things got a little difficult for GT as they lost their captain Pandya and Gill in back-to-back overs. With Vijay Shankar and David Miller at the helm, Gujarat had to chase 87 off just 52.

At one end, Miller played some elegant strokes and exuded confidence to take his team close to the total, while on the other side, Shankar kept calm to get things under control.

In the last four overs, GT needed 34 off 28 to clinch the contest, and this time, Shankar fulfilled his responsibility and hit Varun Chakravarthy for 24 runs in the 17th over of GT’s innings. The right-handed batter smashed the leggie for three maximums and shattered the confidence of KKR. With his exquisite hitting, Shankar not only brought his fifty in just 24 balls but also sealed a seven-wicket triumph for his team with 13 balls to spare.