GT vs PBKS

The top-4 teams in the points table have now all last each of their last games and that has opened the season up in a manner that no one saw coming. Just one point in between the table toppers PBKS (who slipped to their second straight loss tonight) and fifth-placed GT who are enjoying a good run of wins at just the right time in the season. It is getting tighter with every passing day, tough to call as is the case with every season. Two teams that need to go on a bit of run themselves meet tomorrow at the Wankhede as MI host LSG, a loss for either of the teams could seal the fate for them. For now, this is Sourabh Agrawal signing off on behalf of Bidipto Datta and the rest of the team. Cheers!

Jason Holder is the Player of the Match for his best IPL figures of 4/24, here is what he had to say: They (their new ball bowlers) were excellent, they have set the tone for us all season long. Credits to both Siraj and KG (Rabada), even if they get hit for runs they come back and get a wicket. Makes the job easier for me coming in the middle overs. The main thing is keeping the pressure on, bowl your best deliveries and make it difficult for them to score. It is fair to say that, last year and a half I have focused on playing T20 cricket. Not played Test cricket, would love to play Test cricket, haven't closed the chapter yet but focusing on T20 cricket has helped me train well and just be ready for whatever the situation. It is about executing when called upon for me, little disappointed that I have not been able to finish it off in the last couple of games. Still keeping a fresh mind, positive and try to make an impact. So far, it has gone well

Shubman Gill (GT captain): (peaking at the right time?) Definitely but in chases like these we would like to not take it as deep as that but two crucial points. We knew that this is not a kind of a wicket where we could go through in 15-16 overs but the plan was to do it with one over remaining.

The back of the length deliveries were not coming off the pitch, luckily for us we had the set batter in Washi who did the job for us. (sending so many left-handers) It was just about sending our best batters

Washington Sundar with a crucial unbeaten 40 hit the winning runs for GT, here are his thoughts after the game: (how tricky that pitch was?) Had to be calculative on that wicket. Can't get boundaries on hard length deliveries, I was trying to play some good shots and glad that it worked out today. (conversation with Arshad Khan at the end) He bats really well, hits long balls. I was just asking him to enjoy himself, back his strengths. The boundary that he hit early in the (last) over was very important. Not sure about that, I was just focusing on my batting. They did not have many options, they did not have an off spinner and they did not really bowl the spinners

Shreyas Iyer (PBKS captain) : (thoughts on their score) I feel that it was a great score on that wicket which was doing a bit in the powerplay. Their bowlers made better use of the conditions, at the stumps and did not allow us to free our arms. To get to 160 was an exceptional effort.

I thought we would get some wickets with the new ball with good lines and lengths but that did not work out. Kudos to the attitude and the effort to be able to drag it till the end. (in bowling) We missed out on the hard lengths, it was not easy to hit the cross-batted shots on a pitch like that where the bounce was varibale. We missed out on execution but we are still on top of the points table, that is what matters. 

We will take lots of learning from this game. It is a great challenge moving ahead into this competition, we wanted to get the two points. Excited for the opportunity (on their next game), we will look forward to get the two points. We have been working hard, training hard, as long as the attitude is right, the results will come

19.5 Marcus Stoinis to Washington Sundar, WASHI SWINGS IT AWAY FOR SIX, GT get over the line in a tense finish to make it three wins in a row and they are now right in the thick of things with 5 wins from 10 games, the last two coming again the top two teams. PBKS slip to consecutive defeats, they still retain their top spot but they drop points again.

Coming to the ball, it was a full one around the leg stump, a full toss in fact. Washi got inside the line and swung it all the way over fine leg falling over to the off side in the process. 

19.4 Marcus Stoinis to Arshad Khan, DIRECT HIT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE END OF ARSHAD! Stoinis nails another yorker, Arshad tries to flick it away again but this time he can only inside edge into his boots. Stoinis ran to the ball, collected it, turned back and fired at the other end but missed the target

19.3 Marcus Stoinis to Arshad Khan, DOT! A swing and a miss makes it 4 needed off 3. Short and into the surface outside off, Arshad looks to go over mid-off but can only connect with fresh air

19.2 Marcus Stoinis to Arshad Khan, in the air, falls in front of Shedge at deep square leg. Two taken, good fielding in the deep as Arshad clipped it aerially to his left at deep square leg. He sprinted to his left and then went for the catch, good stop in the end

19.1 Marcus Stoinis to Arshad Khan, FOUR! Clutch from Arshad, he squeezes the yorker past short fine for a boundary. Stoinis pretty much nailed his yorker there, Arshad just about got his legs out of the way and got enough on it to clip it past the man in the ring and now it is down to 6 off 5. surely GT' game?

19.1 Marcus Stoinis to Arshad Khan, slow and short, a bit too high though and the square leg ump stretches his arms to signal a WIDE! No review left for PBKS, won't have mattered though. 10 off 6

18.6 Arshdeep Singh to Arshad Khan, swings but only for 1! On the bounce to long-on and the new man will be on strike for the start of the final over. Excellent 19th over from Arshdeep, just 5 off it plus a wicket

18.5 Arshdeep Singh to Jason Holder, PRESSURE COOKER CATCH FROM CONNOLLY IN THE DEEP, massive moment in the game this! Holder wanted to land the decisive blow there, shuffled across and opened himself up for the big shot but could not get hold of it. Conoolly sprinted to his left at deep mid-wicket and then dived to complete a terrific catch. How big will that prove to be? PBKS have a new lease of life