IPL 2023: Shimron Hetmyer's perfect finish, Hardik Pandya scales new heights and other top moments from GT vs RR

Rajasthan Royals on Sunday completed a sensational three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans to claim eight out of a possible 10 points in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 tournament. Beating GT in Ahmedabad is no easy feat, and despite some early setbacks, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer ensured RR crossed the finish line with less than an over to spare.

IPL 2023:  Full coverage |  Points table |  Schedule |  Results |  Orange Cap |  Purple Cap​

For GT, it was their second defeat in three matches, but there were a lot of top moments from the contest as IPL 2023 continues to produce nail-biting finishes.

Let’s take a look at some top moments here:

Trent Boult strikes early

Rajasthan Royals had won the toss and elected to field first against hosts Gujarat Titans, and for a while, it felt as though the decision to do so would certainly go to plan.

Trent Boult, who missed the clash against Chennai Super Kings due to a niggle, was brought back into the playing XI against the Titans in place of Jason Holder.

3⃣ players converge for the catch 😎

4⃣th player takes it 👏

🎥 Safe to say that was one eventful way to scalp the first wicket from @rajasthanroyals!

Follow the match 👉 https://t.co/nvoo5Sl96y #TATAIPL | #GTvRR pic.twitter.com/MwfpztoIZf

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 16, 2023

Boult provided RR with the vital breakthrough, removing Wriddhiman Saha as early as in the first over. Saha was in fact dismissed in one of the most dramatic circumstances.

Facing a full length ball from Boult, Saha looked to whip over square leg, but the played it early and the ball went up in the air, over the pitch. By this moment, Sanju Samson, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel had all converged in the middle of the ground trying to catch, with Samson and Hetmyer even colliding, but Boult was well aware to complete the catch in the end.

Boult finished with figures of 1/46 from four overs.

Pandya-Gill stand

Gujarat Titans were 32/2 at the end of five overs following the dismissals of Saha and Sai Sudharsan, and task was cut out for Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill.

The two were involved in a 59-run stand for the third wicket, that eventually set the platform for a challenging total by the Titans.

Hardik Pandya was at his aggressive best in the seventh over of the innings, hitting Adam Zampa for a six and a four off that over, while the two also combined to make 17 runs off Ashwin’s over that followed.

Pandya climbs Mount 2000

GT skipper Hardik Pandya on Sunday joined an elite list, after he amassed 2000 IPL runs.

🥳🏅 KUNG-FU PANDYA! Another achievement unlocked. Congrats to the Titans' captain Hardik Pandya on crossing 2000 runs in the IPL.

📷 BCCI • #HardikPandya #GTvRR #IPL #IPL2023 #TATAIPL #BharatArmy pic.twitter.com/Z7PJ0NboTf

— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) April 16, 2023

When Pandya got to his 16th run against RR, he not only completed 2000 IPL runs, but joined an elite list of cricketers to have scored 2000 runs and taken 50 wickets in the IPL.

He became the sixth player to do so, after Shane Watson, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Jacques Kallis and Ravindra Jadeja.

Sanju Samson leads RR from the front

He has been there, done that before. And Sunday was yet another example of what Sanju Samson can do on his day with the bat.

Samson had come into bat for RR very early in the innings, with RR’s score reading 4/2 in the third over, and the Royals skipper was involved in a couple of productive partnerships with Devdutt Padikkal (43-run stand) and later Shimron Hetmyer (59-run stand).

Samson reached his fifty off just 29 deliveries, with two fours and five sixes, and continued his onslaught by hitting Noor Ahmad for a six and a four, only for the Afghan to claim his maiden IPL wicket in the final ball of the over, finding David Miller at mid-off.

Hetmyer finishes off in style

Having come into bat at number six, Shimron Hetmyer had a lot riding on his back. He came into bat at a difficult time for RR with their score reading 55/4 in the 11th over, but credit must be given to the way he batted according to the situation.

Shimron Hetmyer in IPL 2023:

22*(16) vs SRH
36(18) vs PBKS
39*(21) vs DC
30*(18) vs CSK
56*(26) vs GT

THIS IS UNREAL CONSISTENCY. pic.twitter.com/2qVTw5a3NV

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 16, 2023

RR needed more than a 100 runs to win when Hetmyer came into bat, and the West Indian’s innings was almost like a highlights package.

In just 26 deliveries, Hetmyer amassed 56 with two fours and five sixes to his name.

Hetmyer was involved in a 27-ball 59 run stand with Samson, and that was followed by another productive partnership with Dhruv Jurel that would eventually set the platform for a successful chase.

He may have lost his partners during the chase, but it must have been fitting that Hetmyer, with all his might, finished the chase by hitting Noor Ahmad for a maximum, slamming wide over midwicket for six.

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