David Miller hits three consecutive sixes in the final over as Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals to qualify for IPL final; Jos Buttler's 89 from 56 balls comes in losing cause - but his side will get a second chance to reach Sunday's title game in Ahmedabad
Tuesday 24 May 2022 20:56, UK
Jos Buttler rediscovered his form with 89 from 56 balls for Rajasthan Royals - but came out on the losing side as Gujarat Titans reached this year's IPL final thanks to David Miller's three successive sixes in the final over.
Buttler came into Tuesday's play-off with a top score of 30 in his last five matches and single-figure totals in his past three - but ignited at the backend of his innings against Gujarat, scoring 50 runs from the final 18 balls he faced having been on a sedate 39 from 38 deliveries after 16 overs.
The Englishman's pyrotechnics powered Royals to 188-6 but that total proved insufficient as South African batter Miller (68no off 38 balls) hammered Prasidh Krishna's first three balls of the last over into the stands to take Gujarat into the title match in their debut IPL season.
Gujarat required 16 from the final six balls and Miller promptly thumped Prasidh over long-on, deep square leg and deep midwicket as his team won by seven wickets with three balls to spare.
Rajasthan still have a chance to reach their first final since triumphing in the inaugural tournament in 2008 as they will meet the winners of Wednesday's eliminator between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The Royals will face Lucknow or Bangalore on Friday, with the winner of that contest going on to play Gujarat in Sunday's final in Ahmedabad.
Tuesday's defeat was harsh on Buttler, who struck four fours off Yash Dayal in the 17th over of the Rajasthan innings, three more off Alzarri Joseph in the 18th, and then concluded the 19th with a four and a six off Mohammed Shami having been dropped on 69 by Rashid Khan.
He powered another six off Dayal from the third ball of the final over before being run out three deliveries later as he attempted to complete a second run.
Buttler's knock was his seventh 50-plus innings of the season, with the opener having hit three hundreds and as many half-centuries during a scintillating start to the campaign.
Royals' innings also included vibrant cameos from captain Sanju Samson (47 off 26) and Devdutt Padikkal (28 off 20), with Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid the pick of the Titans attack as he conceded just 15 runs from his four overs.
Gujarat - who topped the standings after the group stage - lost Wriddhiman Saha to the second ball of the chase, caught behind off New Zealand seamer Trent Boult.
But Shubman Gill (35 off 21), Matthew Wade (30 off 30) and Hardik Pandya (40no off 27) all chipped in before Miller, who stuck five sixes in total, settled matters in style.
Watch the IPL eliminator between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix from 2.50pm on Wednesday.
