Gujarat storms into IPL final chasing 214 to set up Bengaluru clash

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NEW CHANDIGARH, India (AP) — Gujarat Titans will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League final after chasing down Rajasthan Royals on Friday.

A 167-run partnership between opening batters Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan steered Gujarat to the seven-wicket win with eight balls to spare.

Gujarat pulled off its highest successful chase at 219-3, in reply to Rajasthan's 214-6 propped up by another superlative innings from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 96 off 47 balls.

He was trumped by Gujarat captain Gill, who hit 104 off 53 balls, including 15 boundaries.

The final on Sunday in Ahmedabad will be a rematch of the first playoff on Tuesday when Bengaluru beat Gujarat by 92 runs in Dharamsala.

Opting to bat, Rajasthan made a shaky start against Gujarat’s pace at 9-2 after 11 balls. That forced Sooryavanshi to bat slower than usual and he still powered to 50 off 31 balls and lifted Rajasthan to 70-2 in the powerplay.

He put on 127 off 65 balls with Ravindra Jadeja, who anchored with 45 not out off 35 balls. Jadeja retired hurt for a short time.

Sooryavanshi was dropped in the 11th over and wickets were falling at the other end but he hit another 46 off 16 balls with five sixes and three fours.

He and Jadeja came together for a second time in the 13th over, rescuing the innings from collapse. Sooryavanshi was out caught off Kagiso Rabada in the 18th over, four shy of a hundred.

In his previous game, the wonderkid scored 97 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sooryavanshi finished the season with 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.31.

In reply, Gill was in a punishing mood as he hit a stylish fifth IPL hundred and his first this season.

Gill made 50 off 30 balls as Gujarat scored 69-0 in the powerplay. Sai Sudharsan showed quicker pace — 50 off 26 balls with seven fours and a six — as Gujarat's 100 came up in only 52 balls.

The pair had 167 off 77 and seemed unstoppable until Sudharsan was out hit wicket for a second game running in the 13th over. His bat slipped out of his gloves and hit the stumps, again. He'd made 58 off 32.

Gill scored the fastest hundred for a Gujarat batter, off 47 balls. He improved his 49-ball effort from 2023 against Mumbai Indians, also in the knockouts. He's the first batter to score multiple hundreds in the playoffs.

When Gill was out leg before to Jofra Archer in the 15th over, Gujarat needed only another 33 from 30 balls.

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