Sundar made 40* to guide GT to a 4-wicket win over PBKS in Ahmedabad.
Punjab Kings were asked to bat first after GT captain Shubman Gill won the toss. However, PBKS batters struggled on a slowish wicket and were reduced to 47/5. It was then that Suryansh Shedge came to the fore, hitting 57 in 29 balls with 3 fours and 5 sixes.
He added 79 important runs with Marcus Stoinis, who made 40 runs. PBKS made 163/9, as Marco Jansen also made 20 in 11 balls.
In response, Sai Sudharsan made 57, Jos Buttler made 26, and Washington Sundar made 40* to win the game by 4 wickets.
"Washington Sundar's innings was extremely important because it addressed a key question around the Gujarat Titans' middle order. While a lot of their runs come from the top three, contributions like this show the depth they have. Washington has often been used as a flexible option, but he stepped up, handled the pressure well, and ensured the chase was completed. It might not have looked flashy, but it was a very composed and clinical effort to get the team over the line," Ashwin told JioStar.
GT’s approach to the T20 game might be different, but it proved effective on a tricky batting pitch.
"Gujarat Titans were once again incredibly composed in the way they approached the chase. Their batting may not always look explosive, but it's highly methodical and built around understanding conditions. On pitches like these, where 160–170 is a competitive score, it is about controlling the game and executing your plans rather than chasing big numbers.
They have shown remarkable consistency over the years with this approach, and credit goes to both the management and the players for sticking to their process and getting the job done under pressure," Ashwin said.
(PTI inputs)