Mumbai: Openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha struck half-centuries and shared a 106-run partnership for the opening wicket but Mumbai Indians fought back strongly to reel them in for a 5-run win in Match 51 of IPL 2022 here on Friday. Saha struck a superb 40-ball 55, hitting six boundaries and two sixes while Gill blasted 52 off 36 deliveries, hitting six fours and two sixes as they went neck-and-neck in scoring runs to give their team a brilliant start as they chased the target of 178 set by Mumbai Indians after being asked to bat first on a humid and muggy evening here. But after both of them got out in quick succession, Gujarat Titans lost their way and were eventually restricted to 172/5 in 20 overs, falling agonisingly short in a thrilling encounter in which the Titans needed 11 runs off the last over. Daniel Sams bowled a brilliant over to deny David Miller any chances while Rahul Tewatia was run out going for a quick single. MS Education AcademyThis was Mumbai Indians’ second win in 10 matches as they moved up four points. Gujarat Titans slumped to their third defeat in 11 matches but remained at the top of the table with 16 points. This was their second successive defeat. Gujarat Titans’ skipper Hardik Pandya tried to hold the innings together when his two openers were out after laying a solid foundation, but the all-rounder was run out to a smart effort by keeper Ishan Kishan. Sai Sudharshan (14), David Miller (19 not out) and Rahul Tewatia (3) could not complete the task, needing 40-odd runs off 24 deliveries. However, at one stage Gujarat Titans were cruising towards the target with Saha and Gill going great guns. However, the never-say-die attitude of the Mumbai Indians helped them snatch victory in a close finish.&nbsp;Saha started on a more aggressive note, hitting Jasprit Bumrah for two fours and a six in his first over — picking his India teammate off his pads for a superb wristy six over midwicket. He struck Riley Meredith for two fours in an over and then blasted Bumrah for a six and a four in the fifth over as Gujarat ended the powerplay with 54 runs. Gill struck his first big shot, a six off Murugan Ashwin in the sixth over and then struck the bowler for a four in the same over. He despatched Daniel Sams to successive boundaries in the eighth over and hammered left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya a six and a four in the ninth over as Gujarat reached 100 runs in the 11th over.&nbsp;However, both of them fell in quick succession, falling to spinner Murugan Ashwin. Gill was out to a skier, failing to reach to the pitch of a leg break full on the off-stump, Kieron Pollard grabbing an easy catch. Saha too departed soon, sweeping Murugan Ashwin to Sams at deep square leg — from 106 for no loss, Gujarat Titans fell to 111/2 which soon became 156/4 as they made a hash of the chase. Brief scores: Mumbai Indians (Ishan Kishan 45, Rohit Sharma 43, Tim David 44 not out, Tilak Varma 21; Rashid Khan 2/24) beat Gujarat Titans (Wriddhiman Saha 55, Shubman Gill 52, Hardik Pandya 24, David Miller 19 not out; Murugan Ashwin 2/29) by 5 runs.—IANS

 Openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha struck half-centuries and shared a 106-run partnership for the opening wicket but Mumbai Indians fought back strongly to reel them in for a 5-run win in Match 51 of IPL 2022 here on Friday.

IPL 2022: Saha, Gill fifties go in vain as Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Titans by 5 runs

New Delhi:&nbsp;Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill on Sunday praised his former colleague in the party and now Union Minister of civil aviation for imposing fine on the airline which had denied boarding to a special child.Shergill tweeted, “Good decision by @DGCAIndia @JM_Scindia for imposing fine of Rs 5 Lac on Indigo for not letting a child with special needs board the aircraft – Concept of “no frills” airline does not &amp; cannot mean insensitive “customer service” !”Civil aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on low-cost carrier IndiGo for denying boarding to a specially-abled child at Ranchi airport on May 7.The Hyderabad-bound flight left behind the child and their parents at the Ranchi airport.Citing the event as “inappropriate handling” of passengers, a DGCA panel had decided to issue a show cause notice to the airline.While imposing the fine on Saturday, the regulator said the behaviour of the IndiGo ground staff and the handling of the child was “deficient” and it “exacerbated the situation”.“A more compassionate handling would have smoothened nerves, and calmed the child. It would have obviated the need for the extreme step resulting in denied boarding to the passengers,” it said in a note.“Special situations deserve extraordinary response but the airline staff failed to rise up to the occasion and in the process committed lapses,” it added in the note.—IANS

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill on Sunday praised his former colleague in the party and now Union Minister of civil aviation for imposing fine on the airline which had denied boarding to a special child.

Shergill Praises Scindia For Taking Action Against IndiGo

Port of Spain: &nbsp;There were plenty of delays during India's innings, with the visitors forced to hit out late after a weather break saw the match initially reduced to 40 overs per side. Another rain delay at the end of the 36th over saw India's innings completed even earlier, with the visitors posting a decent total of 225/3 from their allotted overs. Opener Shubman Gill was the standout with a career best 98*, while stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan (58) hit his second half-century for the series.Gill was deservedly named Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his heroics during the tour, with the young right-hander scoring two half centuries and a total of 205 runs from three hits. It goes to show that India are compiling some good depth in their white-ball squads, with Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal also showing good signs during the three-match series. Experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj chipped in with two wickets early in West Indies' run chase on Wednesday, while Chahal finished the job by picking up four scalps of his own during an impressive spell.West Indies' form in 50-over cricket has been surprisingly poor of late, with the Caribbean side now sitting on a nine-match losing streak after consecutive series losses against Pakistan, Bangladesh and now India. While there were plenty of positive signs in the first two matches of the series against India, the third and final game was completely one-sided as the hosts struggled to match it with their opponents.Spinner Hayden Walsh picked up two wickets - but conceded 57 runs from his 10 overs - while West Indies' top-order failed to come to grips with India's new-ball bowling attack. Skipper Nicholas Pooran and right-hander Brandon King each scored 42 in this match, but there were plenty of failures as a disappointing series came to an end for Phil Simmons' side. Brief Scores: India 225/3 in 36 overs (Gill 98 not out, Dhawan 58; Walsh 2-57) beat West Indies 137 in 26 overs (Pooran 42, King 42; Chahal 4-17, Siraj 2-14) by 119 runs (DLS) —IANS

Openers Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan hit half centuries as India completed a series sweep over West Indies with an emphatic 119-run victory in a rain-affected clash in Port of Spain.

India cruise to ODI series sweep over West Indies

New Delhi: Opener Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer made short work of a paltry chase of 100 as India won the ODI series decider with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Tuesday.After Kuldeep Yadav (4/18), Shahbaz Ahmed (2/32) and Washington Sundar (2/15) shared eight wickets between themselves to bowl the Proteas for just 99, Gill made 49 while Iyer remained unbeaten on 28 to complete the chase in 19.2 overs and clinch the series 2-1.Gill switched to his attacking mode by pulling over the keeper for four in the opening over. In the next over, Shikhar Dhawan got off the mark with a creamy drive through extra cover for four off Lungi Ngidi. After cutting Jansen past the slip cordon, Gill then wowed the fans with a well-timed on-drive off Ngidi, beating mid-on to pick another four.When Jansen dropped short, Gill punched easily past cover before bringing out the short-arm jab through mid-wicket with panache to collect a brace of fours. Gill's timing continued to be top-notch when he superbly placed the pull off Anrich Nortje wide of mid-wicket for four.But a mix-up on the first ball of the seventh over saw Dhawan being run-out for eight. Ishan Kishan brought out ferocious fours through point and square leg before Bjorn Fortuin got one to turn in and take a thin edge behind to the keeper.Shreyas Iyer joined the boundary-hitting party by smashing Fortuin for a brace of powerful fours hit straight down the ground. Gill hit two more fours, including a crunchy drive through the gap at extra cover, while Iyer ramped wide of the keeper to collect another four and put India on the verge of a series win.Though Gill was trapped lbw by Ngidi, Iyer finished off the chase in style with a six slammed down the ground to clinch a series win for India.Brief scores: South Africa 99 all out in 27.1 overs (Heinrich Klassen 34, Janneman Malan 15; Kuldeep Yadav 4/18, Washington Sundar 2/15) lost to India (Shubman Gill 49, Shreyas Iyer 28 not out, Bjorn Fortuin 1/20, Lungi Ngidi) by seven wickets—IANS

 Opener Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer made short work of a paltry chase of 100 as India won the ODI series decider with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Tuesday.

Ind Vs SA, 3rd ODI: India Clinch Series Win With Seven-Wicket Victory Over South Africa

Washington: Well before evolving to help vertebrates breathe underwater, gills played an early and equally important role in regulating the salt and pH balance of blood, according to surprising new research.
But surprising new research published in Nature is adding a new, early chapter to the evolutionary story of gills.
"Our work suggests that the early, simplified gills of our worm-like ancestors played an important role in ion regulation. And that role might have originated as early as the very inception of gills, well before they played any role in breathing," says Dr. Michael Sackville, a zoologist who led the study while with the University of British Columbia (UBC).
"This really does flip the script on our understanding of how gills and gill function evolved."
The evolution of gills and lungs has fascinated biologists, including Darwin, for more than 100 years. Prior to this study, gills were thought to be first used for breathing and ion regulation near the very beginning of vertebrate life. In this traditional timeline, these two functions shifted from the skin to the gills in tandem, helping vertebrates transition from small, worm-like creatures to larger, active fishes. This transition from "small and wormy" to "big and fishy" is an iconic event in vertebrate evolution.
The study traced the evolutionary journey of gills by comparing three animals that are alive today, but belong to different lineages: lampreys, which are vertebrates, and amphioxus and acorn worms, which are close relatives of vertebrates. The researchers assumed that any gill functions shared between the animals were inherited from a common ancestor, which is believed to be when simple gills first appeared well over 500 million years ago.
"We found that gills were used for breathing in only our vertebrate representative, and only with increasing body size and activity," says Dr. Colin Brauner, a UBC zoologist and senior author on the paper.
"But we found ion regulating cells in the gills of all three of our animals. This allowed us to trace the origin of ion regulation at gills all the way back to early deuterostome animals, when very simple gill structures are thought to have first evolved. The finding supports the classic story that gills were first used for breathing in early vertebrates, but adds an exciting new, earlier chapter to the story, clearly worthy of further study." The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Montreal and Cambridge University, and funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada and Royal Society. —ANI

Well before evolving to help vertebrates breathe underwater, gills played an early and equally important role in regulating the salt and pH balance of blood, according to surprising new research.

Research Rewrites The Evolutionary Story Of Gills

Hyderabad: India's right-handed opening batsman Shubman Gill smashed a superb double century in the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
As a result of Gill's astounding knock, he became one of only eight players in the history of the game to have scored a double hundred in a men's one-day international, and he was the youngest of those eight players to enter the coveted club. This was a significant accomplishment for Gill. Gill was 23 years old and 132 days old when the first ODI was played.
The previous youngest was Ishan Kishan, who set the record with 210 against Bangladesh last month at the age of 24 years and 145 days.
Gill was out in the last over after making 208 from 149 balls. He had hit 19 fours and 9 sixes to lift India get a huge score of 349/8. The next best score was 34, which was made by the team's captain, Rohit Sharma. The youthful opening batsman's scoring pace picked up as the innings progressed, and his first 50 runs only took 52 deliveries. He went from 50 to 100 in just 35 deliveries, and then from 100 to 150 in 35 deliveries.
Gill went from 150 to 200 in just 23 balls, passing the double-century mark due to three consecutive sixes off Lockie Ferguson in the 49th over, which sparked a dramatic acceleration.
In the process, he also became the fastest Indian cricketer to record 1000 ODI runs when he reached 106 in his 19th ODI innings. The 97-ball 116 that Gill scored against Sri Lanka in the series-clinching game at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram shows that Gill is in the midst of a remarkable run of form in one-day international cricket.
Gill is now the fastest Indian and the joint-second fastest batsman in ODI history to reach the 1000-run milestone, passing the previous record holders Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan by 24 innings. He equaled Pakistan opener Iman-ul-Haq for scoring 1000 runs in ODIs in 19 innings, but fell short of Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman's record of reaching 1000 runs in ODIs in the shortest amount of time, 18 innings.
The lucky break came just before the 19th over, when he was a few runs from from his fifty. The New Zealand skipper, Tom Latham, dropped the batsman and missed a potential stumping off Michael Bracewell. Gill was also dropped by fast bowler Henry Shipley when he was on 124. Shipley missed a chance to get Gill caught and bowled, which cost the team a lot in the end.
Rohit's 264 against Sri Lanka in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in 2014 is still the best individual score in men's ODI history. Against Australia in 2013 (209) and against Sri Lanka in 2017, he scored another two hundred runs, giving him the distinction of being the only player to have done so more than once in the format (208 not out).
The lucky break came just before the 19th over, when he was a few runs from from his fifty. Tom Latham, the skipper of New Zealand, dropped the batter and also missed a chance to stump Michael Bracewell. Gill was also dropped by fast bowler Henry Shipley when he was on 124. Shipley missed a caught and bowled chance, which turned out to be very costly in the end.—Inputs from Agencies

India's right-handed opening batsman Shubman Gill smashed a superb double century in the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium

IND v NZ, 1st ODI: Shubman Gill becomes the youngest ODI player to strike a double century

IND v NZ, 1st ODI: Shubman Gill becomes the youngest ODI player to strike a double century.

Hyderabad: Shubman Gill produced a magnificent display of batsmanship to score a double century and propel India to a massive 349/8 against New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, here on Wednesday.
On a two-paced pitch, where no other Indian batter crossed 35, Gill dished out an opening masterclass against a quality New Zealand bowling line-up to score 208 off 149 balls, laced with 19 fours and nine sixes. On his way to becoming the youngest player to score a double century in the ODI format and fifth to do so from India, Gill had to overcome early jitters to be a dominating force in the innings. Be it in the first power-play or in the death overs, Gill was smashing boundaries against pacers and spinners. Gill reached his first fifty in 52 balls, before reaching his century off 87 balls. He then went from 100 to 150 in 35 balls, and the jump from 150 to 200 happened in just 23 balls, with his overall strike-rate at 139.6, taking India to nearly reaching 350. Electing to bat first, Rohit Sharma was severe on an erring Henry Shipley, hitting two fours and as many sixes, of which a well-timed lofted drive going over cover for a maximum was the standout.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gill, on the other hand, wasn't at ease before leaning into a drive off Lockie Ferguson in the sixth over got him going. Gill easily took on Blair Tickner, pulling him twice over mid-wicket to bring up India's fifty in 8.4 overs. The 60-run opening stand ended in the 13th over when Rohit miscued a loft, giving mid-on a simple catch off Tickner. But Gill continued his fluency against spin, flicking and using his feet well to take boundaries off Mitchell Santner, while taking a brace of boundaries against Shipley.
Gill could have been out to off-spin of Michael Bracewell if captain Tom Latham hadn't missed catching and stumping chance in the 19th over. On the fifth ball of the over, he got to his fifty in style with a slog-sweep dispatched over deep mid-wicket for six.
But he was losing partners from the other end as Santner, the left-arm spinner, went past Virat Kohli's outside edge, getting enough turn to hit the top of his off stump in the 16th over. Four overs later, Ishan Kishan, playing for the first time since slamming 210 against Bangladesh, edged a short of length delivery straight to the keeper off Ferguson.&nbsp;
Gill found a partner in Suryakumar Yadav, who produced exquisite timing in his punch, drive, flick against pacers while sweeping against Bracewell to collect four boundaries. The young opener clipped and drove well against Tickner and Daryl Mitchell for boundaries before pouncing on a short ball from Santner by pulling over mid-wicket for a one-bounce four. Mitchell broke the 65-run partnership by having Suryakumar to drive on the up and chipping straight to a leaping cover fielder in the 29th over. Gill raced to 99 by using depth of crease to pull Santner off the backfoot over mid-wicket for six, before getting to his third ODI century in 87 balls. Gill continued to use his feet for driving against spinners while whipping and pulling off pacers with disdain.
He was given a reprieve in the 38th over when Shipley couldn't hold on to a sharp caught and bowled chance. Gill rubbed salt on the wound with a quality off-drive for a four on the very next ball. His superb show against spinners continued when he pulled Santner off backfoot over mid-wicket for six and then reached his 150 by dancing down the pitch to swing Bracewell over wide long-on with the turn for a humongous maximum.
Giving him some company was Hardik Pandya, who hit three boundaries in a 38-ball 28, before missing a Mitchell delivery while trying to cut off him in the 40th over, as replays showed bail on off stump came off after the keeper collected it cleanly, ending a 74-run partnership. Washington Sundar didn't last long, trapped lbw after missing the flick to become Shipley's first ODI scalp. A mix up at the non-striker's end saw Shardul Thakur sacrifice himself for Gill in the 47th over. Gill broke a run of four boundary-less overs by smashing sixes over leaping long-on and square leg off Tickner in the 48th over. Gill reached his double century by smacking a hat-trick of sixes over fine leg, long-off and straight down the ground in the 49th over. He would hit another six over long-on in the final over, before falling for 208 as deep mid-wicket fielder took a screamer of a catch.&nbsp;
—IANS

Shubman Gill produced a magnificent display of batsmanship to score a double century and propel India to a massive 349/8 against New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Shubman Gill's Magnificent Double Century

Chandigarh: Khalistan ideologue and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amrit-pal Singh is still absconding while so far 114 people have been arrested in connection with the March 18 crackdown, Punjab Police's Inspector General Sukhchain Singh Gill said here on Monday.
In a major development, the National Security Act (NSA) has been imposed on four aides of Amritpal Singh. Amritpal Singh's uncle Harjit Singh, who was arrested on early Monday, is also likely to be booked under the stringent law.
While the four aides of Amritpal Singh -- Daljeet Singh Kalsi, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh, and Pradhanmantri Bajeka -- have been kept in Assam's Dibrugarh jail, his uncle is also being taken there.
Addressing the media, Gill clarified that Amritpal Singh continued to be absconding and a manhunt was on to arrest him at the earliest. He, however, did not rule out imposing the NSA on Amritpal Singh, against whom the police slapped six cases. A total of 10 weapons and four vehicles, including the radical leader's Mercedes, had been seized. Punjab Police suspect the involvement of the ISI and foreign funding for the 'Waris Punjab De', which is being investigated.
"We have strong suspicion of involvement of Pakistan's ISI besides foreign funding. The accused were using hawala channels also. We have evidence that the accused were forming 'Anandpur Khalsa Fauj' (AKF) of close associates of Amritpal," the IG said. The six FIRs lodged against Amritpal Singh and his associates include causing disharmony and obstruction in police working and attack on police, besides possessing illegal weapons. The police have also found a walkie-talkie set from one of the vehicles used by Amritpal Singh, the IG said. Besides, bulletproof jackets and rifles that have been recovered. The gate of the house of Amritpal Singh had AKF inscribed on them. Gill clarified that there was total normalcy in Punjab and the cordon and search operation is underway.
—IANS

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Khalistan ideologue and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amrit-pal Singh is still absconding while so far 114 people have been arrested in connection with the March 18 crackdown, Punjab Police's Inspector General Sukhchain Singh Gill said here on Monday.

Amritpal Still Absconding, NSA Slapped On Four Of His Aides

Chandigarh: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing manhunt for fugitive pro-Khalistan leader and radical preacher Amritpal Singh, Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill, on Thursday revealed that the Waris Punjab De chief's last location was in Haryana.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Thursday, the IGP said, "We are still actively searching for Amritpal Singh and have come to know that its last location was in Haryana. We have taken a woman named Baljeet Kaur into custody. Amritpal stayed at this woman's house in Kurukshetra (Haryana) and the Waris Punjab De chief and his close aide had been in touch with her for the last two-and-a-half years."
The IGP said Baljeet Kaur disclosed during questioning that both Amritpal and his key aide, Papalpreet Singh, had stayed at her house on the night of March 19.
"We arrested Baljeet Kaur with the help of Haryana Police. She disclosed during interrogation that on the night of March 19, both Papalpreet Singh and Amritpal had put up at her place. She said she had Papalpreet for more than the last couple of years and he had stayed at her house on several occasions," the IGP said.
"After staying the night, they moved out of there (her house) the next day. We are examining the CCTV footage and are hopeful of arresting Amritpal soon," he added.
The Punjab IGP informed further that Amritpal and his aide changed their two-wheeler near a gurdwara at Sehowal village in Jalandhar and tried to get a boat to get across a river.
"Our team continues to be in his trail. We are examining CCTV footage retrieved from several locations in a bid to trace his whereabouts. They changed their two-wheeler at a gurdwara at Sehowal village and tried to get a boat to cross the river. However, they failed to get one and eventually used an overbridge to get across the river," the IGP added.
"After roaming around in another two-wheeler, they hired an auto-rickshaw. After this, they were located at Kurukshetra. Gurpej (one of the four men arrested for allegedly helping Amritpal escape), who is currently in our custody, told us about another woman, apart from Baljeet Kaur, who he may turn to for refuge," the IGP added.
Gill said as many as 207 persons have been detained and of them, 30 have been arrested in different cases. They were involved in criminal cases, the IGP informed.
"We've detained 207 people so far. Of them, 30 have been arrested in different cases. They were found involved in criminal cases. Another 177 persons have been placed under preventive detention in the interest of maintaining peace, as well as law and order," said Gill.
Earlier in the day, Punjab police arrested an associate of the fugitive Waris Punjab De chief. Police identified the arrested person as Tejinder Singh aka Gorkha Baba, a resident of Punjab's Mangewal village.
"He often lived with Amritpal and was involved in the Ajnala violence as well. Gorkha Baba used to be Amritpal's gunman for a long time. Tejinder was also active on social media. Pictures of him holding weapons would often surface on social media. A separate case was registered against Tejinder in Malaud police station after the pictures surfaced," DSP Payal Harsimrat Singh told ANI.
The police informed that action has been taken against him under sections 107 and 151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPS).
"Two other people accompanying Tejinder were detained and are being interrogated," added the DSP.
The DSP informed further that Tejinder was named in an assault case and another case of liquor smuggling was also registered against him. Tejinder had served a sentence in the latter case.
On March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on February 23, on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
Thousands of his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station, flashing swords and high-calibre firearms and threatening the police with dire consequences if they did not release Lovepreet Toofan, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting and abducting a man.
—ANI

 In a major breakthrough in the ongoing manhunt for fugitive pro-Khalistan leader and radical preacher Amritpal Singh, Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill, on Thursday revealed that the Waris Punjab De chief's last location was in Haryana.

'Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh's Last Location In Haryana': Punjab IGP

Los Angeles: Actress Zoe Saldana is done playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter for a cover story on filmmaker James Gunn and the development of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie series, Saldana, reaffirmed that she will no longer play the character after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases on May 5, reports People.

"I don't think this is the end for the Guardians," the actress said, noting that she originally only expected to portray Gamora for the property's original 2014 movie.

"It is the end for me, for Gamora."

The article covers how Saldana and co-stars Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista and more actors supported director Gunn, 56, during his months-long estrangement from Marvel after he was fired from future Guardians movies in 2018. He was later reinstated in 2019.

In the piece, Saldana, who reportedly visited Gunn at his home in the wake of his firing, said she gave a speech thanking the Guardians crew on her last day of filming for the new movie.

"I thanked James for just his time and his patience and his guidance and his friendship," she told the outlet.

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' releases May 5. IANS

Actress Zoe Saldana is done playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Zoe Saldana says she won't reprise Gamora's role after 'Guardians Vol. 3'

Mumbai: Actress Hrishitaa Bhatt, who is currently seen hosting the TV musical series 'Rangoli', shared her experience working with Tigmanshu Dhulia and Jimmy Shergill in 2003 crime drama 'Haasil'.

Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, 'Haasil' was based on the student politics of the University of Allahabad. It features Jimmy Sheirgill, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Irrfan Khan and Ashutosh Rana. As the movie is completing 20 years, the cast including Jimmy, Hrishitaa, Brijendra Kalra, Varun Badola,and the director, graced 'The Kapil Sharma Show' and recalled a few moments from the sets and how it was to work in the film.

Hrishitaa remembered working with Tigmanshu and Jimmy and said: "I have noticed that Tigmanshu and Jimmy have a habit of being completely silent. Earlier, when we were filming for 'Haasil', they would communicate using just two words. Being a 19-year-old girl from Mumbai, I used to be confused about their behaviour."

The actress further added how she was completely opposite to both of them: "It's hard to believe, but I talk a lot. When I first met Tigmanshu and Jimmy, their reserved nature made me anxious as I didn't know if they would speak or not. Even while making the movie 'Haasil,' they remained just as quiet, and to this day, they haven't changed.

Hrishitaa made her debut in the film industry with superstar Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 2001 movie 'Asoka' and later she received appreciation for her role in 'Haasil', 'Ab Tak Chhappan',and many more. The actress was also seen in several web series and she also bagged the role in Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Cuttputlli'.

Furthermore, Hrishitaa got nostalgic as she shared how they shot for 'Haasil'

She added: "The film we made was heavily influenced by Tigmanshu's real-life experiences, and we shot scenes without any scripted dialogues. Sometimes I spoke my own lines, and other times Jimmy did the same. We captured the atmosphere of the moment to make the movie, and it was a challenging process, but the end result was fantastic."

She shared about shooting for the film during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj: "For the shoot, we went to the Kumbh Mela for ten days and used guerrilla-style filming with a hidden camera, without anyone's knowledge. During that time, Jimmy was holding my hand while we ran, and people mistakenly thought he was abducting someone."

"It was a chaotic ten days, but somehow, we managed to make the film with Irrfan, Jimmy, and me. We had no idea at the time that the movie would become a historical success. I believe that the fun environment we had during the shoot was unique and cannot be replicated, and the film has even inspired some of the movies made today. Back then, it definitely set a benchmark," concluded the actress. IANS

Hrishitaa Bhatt, who hosts the TV musical "Rangoli," spoke about her 2003 crime drama "Haasil" alongside Tigmanshu Dhulia and Jimmy Shergill.

Hrishitaa Bhatt shares how 'Haasil' set a benchmark for some films made today

Ahmedabad: Shubman Gill's scintillating maiden century followed by a four-wicket haul each by Mohammad Shami and Mohit Sharma powered Gujarat Titans to the Playoffs with a 34-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an IPL 2023 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Monday.
While the Titans become the first team to qualify for the Playoffs this season and are assured a top-two finish as well with 18 points in their kitty with one match to go, Sunrisers are officially eliminated from the tournament.
Gill (101 off 58) and B. Sai Sudharsan (47 off 36) set the foundation for a big total with their 147-run stand before GT lost momentum with the bat in the final stages of the first innings and suffered a sudden collapse with just 41 runs coming for the loss of seven wickets in the death overs to post 188/9.
Shami (4-21) then ripped through the SRH top-order and Mohit (4-24) scythed through the middle-order as the hosts overcame a fighting effort from Heinrich Klaasen (64 off 44) to restrict SRH to 154/9 and become the first team to qualify for the Play-offs.
Chasing 189, SRH were jolted early Mohammad Shami's triple strike in the Power-play reduced Sunrisers to 29/4. He first got the opener Anmolpreet Singh in the first over. The next over Yash Dayal removed Abhishek Sharma for 4.
Shami struck again in the third over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi and got the big wicket of skipper Aiden Markram in the fifth over and Sanvir Singh smashed him for a maximum on the last ball of the over.
Heinrich Klassen make a bit of room and lofted it all the way over the extra cover fence for a six and SRH were 45/4 at the end of the Power-play.
The next over Mohit Sharma's double strike put further miseries on SRH in the run-chase as the visitors were reduced to 50/6. He first got rid of Sanvir Singh.
Then, Abdul Samad stayed back and looked to muscle away a slower ball but got no elevation and the ball crunched straight to short mid-wicket where Shivam Mavi took a sharp catch.
An over later, Mohit claimed his third in the form of Marco Jansen, who looked to loft it down the ground but the ball took the thick inside half and ended up chipping an easy catch for the GT skipper and Sunrisers lost their seventh wicket on the score of 59.
In between, the in-form Klaasen kept battling hard as he brought up his half-century off 35 balls and stitched a 68-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
When 66 was needed in 24 balls, Shami broke the crucial 68-run partnership by sending Klassen back in the 17th over, making it tougher for the Sunrisers to go over the line.
Mayank Markande hammered Mohit for a six and a boundary in the penultimate over. The pacer was quick to regroup and got rid of Bhuvneshwar.
With 42 left for the final over, Rahul Tewatia gave away just seven runs as GT restrict SRH to 154/9 in 20 overs to seal an important 34-run win.
Earlier, batting first, GT lost opener Wriddhiman Saha for a duck. Then, Gill and Sudharsan pressed the accelerator to take the Power-Play score to 65/1.
The duo continued punishing SRH bowlers with their boundary hits and established the 147-run partnership, which Marco Jansen broke in the 15 over.
Afterwards, the hosts suffered a collapse. Captain Hardik Pandya came and pulled it hard towards the deep square-leg region, to begin with a four, but Bhuvneshwar didn't let him stay for long and removed him the next over.
Natarajan, then, removed David Miller. Rahul Tewatia too didn't last long as he miscued his loft to mid-off where Jansen pouched a brilliant catch off Farooqi.
Meanwhile, Gill brought up his maiden IPL century with a single in the 19th over. But, Bhuvneshwar sent him back soon after his hundred in the final over. On the next delivery, he dismissed Rashid Khan.
He didn't get the hat-trick but SRH managed to get a team hat-trick as Bhuvneshwar produced a direct hit to run out Noor Ahmad as they set off for a risky bye. Bhuvneshwar completed his five-for as he had Shami caught at long-on off a slower one.
It was a fantastic comeback from SRH as they conceded just 34 runs and picked up seven wickets in the last five overs as the away team restricted GT to 188/9.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 188/9 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 101, Sai Sudharshan 47; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5-30) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 154/9 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 64, Mohammed Shami 4-20, Mohit Sharma 4-28) by 34 runs.
—IANS

Shubman Gill's scintillating maiden century followed by a four-wicket haul each by Mohammad Shami and Mohit Sharma powered Gujarat Titans to the Playoffs 

IPL 2023: Gill's ton; Shami, Mohit's four-fer power GT to Playoffs with 34-run win over SRH

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans became the first team to enter the playoffs of the IPL 2023 with a comprehensive 34-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday night and former India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel is impressed with the batting technique of Shubman Gill, who played a match winning century knock.

Gill's sparkling knock of 101 (58b, 13x4, 1x6) and his 147-run partnership with Sai Sudharsan (47 runs, 36b, 6x4, 1x6) for the second wicket helped Titans put up a stiff 188/9. In reply, SRH were never in contention and were reduced to 59/7 in 9 overs before they pulled things back slightly and finished at 154/9 in their allotted 20 overs.

Paceman Mohammed Shami ran through the SRH top order, taking 4/21 while medium pacer Mohit Sharma finished with 4/28 in a brilliant bowling display.

The win took the Titans to 18 points in 13 games and they are now assured of a top-two finish while SRH were stranded at 8 points from 12 games and joined Delhi Capitals in bowing out of the tournament.

"What I enjoyed most was seeing him use his technique. All the shots that we saw, had him let the ball come to him. He didn't try and whack it and it allowed him to successfully find the gaps. When you play on a bouncy pitch, you have to let the ball come to you. That's how you control the ball and hit where it needs to go. When he was set, he was able to get a century. He has hit centuries in T20, ODI, and Test cricket at this ground," said JioCinema IPL expert Parthiv Patel about Gill.

Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar became only the second bowler this season after Mark Wood to take a five-wicket haul, proving to be a small bright spot in an otherwise disappointing evening for SRH.

Former India pacer RP Singh praised Bhuvi's experience and skill, while highlighting the importance of pitching length of the ball.

"We talk about the importance of length and how it can enable a five-wicket haul. If you can bowl a gutter-length ball, you should take a wicket there Taking five wickets is very special for any bowler at this stage in the competition. This has only happened twice this season. The skill of bowling and what makes you special is your experience. You can read a batter with your experience, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done so in this match," Singh said.

On the other hand, Australian pacer Brett Lee praised the Titans' commitment, saying: "I think they have been really well led by Hardik Pandya. Didn't get the chance to bowl, I am hearing the workload reason as the reason why he's not bowling, which is disappointing. But the fact they keep winning without one of their strike bowlers, it's good for them. Every player is stepping up and doing their own thing and contributing to the team's success, which is great for them." IANS

Gujarat Titans became the first team to enter the playoffs of the IPL 2023 with a comprehensive 34-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

IPL 2023: What I enjoyed most was seeing Shubman Gill use his technique, says Parthiv Patel

New Delhi: Sensational Shubman Gill hit a magnificent century to power Gujarat Titans to a thrilling win and knock Royal Challengers out of the tournament at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.  Gill sizzled with an unbeaten 104 off 52 balls, also his second straight IPL century, laced with hitting five fours and eight sixes at a strike-rate of 200 to power GT to a thrilling win 6-wicket win over RCB in a high scoring thriller in their last league match on Sunday.  RCB's loss meant that Mumbai Indians claimed the final spot in the play-offs having beaten SunRisers Hyderabad earlier in the day.  After the match, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar came up with a cheeky post after the five-time champions MI entered the play-offs.  "Cameron Green and Shubman Gill batted well for Mumbai Indians. Amazing innings by Virat Kohli too to score back-to-back 100s. They all had their methods and were in a class of their own. So happy to see MI in the playoffs. Go Mumbai," Sachin tweeted.  Earlier in the day, MI faced a must-win match in their last game of the league stage and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Cameron Green's scintillating 100* off 47 nt out kept Mumbai's hopes alive as the home side thumped Sunrisers by eight wickets.  GT will next play Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 23 qualifier 1 while MI will lock horns with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in eliminator 1 on May 24. —IANS

Sensational Shubman Gill hit a magnificent century to power Gujarat Titans to a thrilling win and knock Royal Challengers

IPL 2023: 'Cameron Green and Shubman Gill batted well for Mumbai Indians', Sachin's cheeky tweet after MI enter Play-offs

New Delhi: Virat Kohli (101*) pulled off a string of records en-route his second successive century of the IPL 2023 against Gujarat Titans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday night, but Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) failed to make it to the play-offs of the tournament as Titans opener Shubman Gill (104*) had other ideas on mind, and helped his side pull off a brilliant six-wicket win with five balls to spare, and leave the home supporters stunned.  Gill not only matched Kohli shot for shot, he ended up with a better strike rate that was crucial to his team's near perfect chase. He was ably supported by Vijay Shankar, who came in as an impact player and hammered 53 off 35 balls. His innings was laced with seven boundaries and a couple of sixes.  RCB's loss meant that Mumbai Indians (MI), who had earlier in the day beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, moved into the plays-offs by virtue of finishing fourth on the table with 16 points. RCB, on the other hand, ended up finishing sixth in the tournament on 14 points behind Rajasthan Royals.  The Titans, who topped the table with 20 points will now play Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday while MI will lock horns with Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator a day later.  JioCinema IPL expert Brett Lee was all praise for Gill, saying: "He hit eight sixes. I love how he goes on the leg side. He finds power. That he can do and access because he's got strong wrists and he's got beautiful timing."  Gill and Shankar put on a century stand and Lee said: "123 off 71 balls, that was the partnership that broke the back of the RCB bowlers. Yes, it was a wet ball, conditions didn't really favour the bowlers but you got to give credit where credit is due. They both batted beautifully."  Speaking about Kohli's ton, another JioCinema IPL expert Anil Kumble said: "You could see that passion and hunger. Today was an important innings for RCB, no other batsman was going well today. Faf du Plessis is a very good player but after he got out quick the pressure was on Virat Kohli. But with that pressure and responsibility he scored a great century." —IANS

Virat Kohli (101*) pulled off a string of records en-route his second successive century of the IPL 2023

Gill's got strong wrists and beautiful timing: Brett Lee on Shubman's ton against RCB

Ahmedabad: After rain delayed the start of Qualifier 2 by 30 minutes, Shubman Gill smashed a majestic 129 off 60 balls and veteran pacer Mohit Sharma took an impressive fifer (5/10), helping Gujarat Titans thrash Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in Qualifier 2 and reach the final of the IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Friday.
The win also meant that Gujarat entered the IPL final for the second successive time and will meet Chennai Super Kings in Sunday's title clash at the same venue, with a chance of defending their trophy. Co-incidentally, the first match of IPL 2023 was between Gujarat and Chennai at the very same venue on March 31.
Gill's third century of IPL 2023, an exhibition of timing and placement of the highest class and it propelled Gujarat Titans to a mammoth 233/3, the highest score in the history of playoffs. Chasing 234 was always going to be an uphill task for Mumbai after losing Ishan Kishan to concussion and they eventually folded up for 171 in 18.2, with Mohit taking a sensational 5/10 after being introduced in the bowling attack from 15th over.
The Gujarat opener put on a six-hitting exhibition in Ahmedabad -- his timing and stroke play was silky smooth while hitting ten sixes and seven fours in taking Mumbai's bowlers to cleaners all over the park, apart from running hard between the wickets and becoming leading run-getter of IPL 2023.
On his way of leaving scores of fans in awe of his belligerent form by picking gaps and finding elevation beautifully, Gill also became the leading run-getter of the competition in a season which will always be remembered for him.
His first 30 balls saw him make 48 runs, before switching gears in thrilling fashion to slam 79 runs in his next 30 balls. Gill also had luck on his side -- being dropped on 30 by Tim David, which proved to be a very costly drop as he made 99 runs off 40 balls post that.
Pushed into batting first, Gill got going by flicking off Cameron Green for four, followed by Wriddhiman Saha using the same shot off Jason Behrendorff for a boundary. After being hit on the helmet by a skiddy bouncer from Akash Madhwal, Saha danced down the pitch to slash the pacer over point for four.
Post the duo taking a leg-side boundary each off Behrendorff, Gill welcomed Chris Jordan in the last over of power-play with a well-timed pull over deep square leg for six, followed by a ferocious cut through cover for four. He also got a life in the same over on 30 when Tim David shelled a tough diving catch at mid-on.
Gujarat lost their first wicket when Piyush Chawla had Saha stumped down leg. After surviving a stumping scare on 36, Gill danced down the pitch to loft Chawla down the ground for six. From the other end, Sai Sudharsan flicked off him for four, followed by cover-driving and lofting off Green and Jordan for four and six respectively.
After Gill reached his fifty in 32 balls, he picked length early in sweeping Kartikeya for six. He welcomed a returning Madhwal by picking up a flick beautifully and muscled a pull for back-to-back sixes, and followed it up with a flick off the wrists to collect third six of 21-run 12th over.
When Chawla came back, Gill was quick to dance down the pitch and loft beautifully over bowler's head for six, followed by picking a four off a paddle-sweep. Gill again danced down the pitch to smack Chawla over wide long-on for another six as 20 runs came off the 13th over.
After Gill reached his century in 49 balls, he launched Green for a massive six down the ground and pulled twice to pick four and six (via a stunning forehand jab) through the leg-side. Gill opened bat-face late to square-drive Jordan for four, followed by Sudharsan hitting back-to-back boundaries to take 17 runs off 16th over.
Gill carted Madhwal over extra cover for four, but holed out to David at deep mid-wicket in the 17th over. Sudharsan and Hardik Pandya hit three boundaries between themselves before the former was retired out ahead of the final over. Hardik and Rashid Khan hit a four each in the final over, before the former slammed Jordan for six on the last ball to take Gujarat above 230.
In Mumbai's chase, Mohammed Shami struck in his very first over when makeshift opener Nehal Wadhera went for a pull, only to edge behind. Cameron Green got going with a first-ball four, but retired hurt in second over after being hit on left forearm while trying to fend off Hardik.
Shami struck again as Rohit Sharma top-edged a pull to fine leg. Tilak Varma got going by flicking and pulling for two sixes in his first four balls. The left-handed batter smashed Shami for four consecutive boundaries -- via late cut, pull and driving twice, before pulling him for six to take 24 runs off the fifth over as Mumbai raced to 65/2.
Rashid brought an end to Varma's cameo as the youngster missed a straighter delivery on sweep and was castled. Green returned to resume his innings and along with Suryakumar Yadav, the duo hit four boundaries and two sixes collectively against Rashid and Noor Ahmad.
Their partnership came to an end when Green was castled in 12th over while trying to pull off Josh Little. Suryakumar hit fours off Noor and Little, before reaching his fifty in 33 balls with a scooped six off the latter, followed by welcoming Mohit with a pulled maximum.&nbsp;
But the pacer bounced back immediately as Suryakumar went for another scoop, and saw his leg-stump castled. Concussion substitute Vishnu Vinod also fell to Mohit after spooning a catch to cover, followed by Tim David trapped lbw by Rashid. Mohit took the remaining three wickets to clinch a five-wicket haul in just 14 balls, thus sealing Gujarat's place in the final.
Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 233/3 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 129, B Sai Sudharsan 43; Piyush Chawla 1/45) beat Mumbai Indians 171 in 18.2 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 61, Tilak Varma 43; Mohit Sharma 5/10, Rashid Khan 2/33) by 62 runs.
—IANS

After rain delayed the start of Qualifier 2 by 30 minutes, Shubman Gill smashed a majestic 129 off 60 balls and veteran pacer Mohit Sharma 

IPL 2023: Gill's majestic 129, Mohit's 5/10 help Gujarat Titans reach final with win over Mumbai Indians

Ahmedabad: After rain delayed the start of Qualifier 2 by 30 minutes, Shubman Gill smashed a majestic 129 off 60 balls and veteran pacer Mohit Sharma took an impressive fifer (5/10), helping Gujarat Titans thrash Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in Qualifier 2 and reach the final of the IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Friday.  The win also meant that Gujarat entered the IPL final for the second successive time and will meet Chennai Super Kings in Sunday's title clash at the same venue, ?with a chance of defending their trophy. Co-incidentally, the first match of IPL 2023 was between Gujarat and Chennai at the very same venue on March 31.  Gill's third century of IPL 2023, an exhibition of timing and placement of the highest class and it propelled Gujarat Titans to a mammoth 233/3, the highest score in the history of playoffs. Chasing 234 was always going to be an uphill task for Mumbai after losing Ishan Kishan to concussion and they eventually folded up for 171 in 18.2, with Mohit taking a sensational 5/10 after being introduced in the bowling attack from 15th over.  The Gujarat opener put on a six-hitting exhibition in Ahmedabad -- his timing and stroke play was silky smooth while hitting ten sixes and seven fours in taking Mumbai's bowlers to cleaners all over the park, apart from running hard between the wickets and becoming leading run-getter of IPL 2023.  On his way of leaving scores of fans in awe of his belligerent form by picking gaps and finding elevation beautifully, Gill also became the leading run-getter of the competition in a season which will always be remembered for him.  His first 30 balls saw him make 48 runs, before switching gears in thrilling fashion to slam 79 runs in his next 30 balls. Gill also had luck on his side -- being dropped on 30 by Tim David, which proved to be a very costly drop as he made 99 runs off 40 balls post that.  Pushed into batting first, Gill got going by flicking off Cameron Green for four, followed by Wriddhiman Saha using the same shot off Jason Behrendorff for a boundary. After being hit on the helmet by a skiddy bouncer from Akash Madhwal, Saha danced down the pitch to slash the pacer over point for four.  Post the duo taking a leg-side boundary each off Behrendorff, Gill welcomed Chris Jordan in the last over of power-play with a well-timed pull over deep square leg for six, followed by a ferocious cut through cover for four. He also got a life in the same over on 30 when Tim David shelled a tough diving catch at mid-on.  Gujarat lost their first wicket when Piyush Chawla had Saha stumped down leg. After surviving a stumping scare on 36, Gill danced down the pitch to loft Chawla down the ground for six. From the other end, Sai Sudharsan flicked off him for four, followed by cover-driving and lofting off Green and Jordan for four and six respectively.  After Gill reached his fifty in 32 balls, he picked length early in sweeping Kartikeya for six. He welcomed a returning Madhwal by picking up a flick beautifully and muscled a pull for back-to-back sixes, and followed it up with a flick off the wrists to collect third six of 21-run 12th over.  When Chawla came back, Gill was quick to dance down the pitch and loft beautifully over bowler's head for six, followed by picking a four off a paddle-sweep. Gill again danced down the pitch to smack Chawla over wide long-on for another six as 20 runs came off the 13th over.  After Gill reached his century in 49 balls, he launched Green for a massive six down the ground and pulled twice to pick four and six (via a stunning forehand jab) through the leg-side. Gill opened bat-face late to square-drive Jordan for four, followed by Sudharsan hitting back-to-back boundaries to take 17 runs off 16th over.  Gill carted Madhwal over extra cover for four, but holed out to David at deep mid-wicket in the 17th over. Sudharsan and Hardik Pandya hit three boundaries between themselves before the former was retired out ahead of the final over. Hardik and Rashid Khan hit a four each in the final over, before the former slammed Jordan for six on the last ball to take Gujarat above 230.  In Mumbai's chase, Mohammed Shami struck in his very first over when makeshift opener Nehal Wadhera went for a pull, only to edge behind. Cameron Green got going with a first-ball four, but retired hurt in second over after being hit on left forearm while trying to fend off Hardik.  Shami struck again as Rohit Sharma top-edged a pull to fine leg. Tilak Varma got going by flicking and pulling for two sixes in his first four balls. The left-handed batter smashed Shami for four consecutive boundaries -- via late cut, pull and driving twice, before pulling him for six to take 24 runs off the fifth over as Mumbai raced to 65/2.  Rashid brought an end to Varma's cameo as the youngster missed a straighter delivery on sweep and was castled. Green returned to resume his innings and along with Suryakumar Yadav, the duo hit four boundaries and two sixes collectively against Rashid and Noor Ahmad.  Their partnership came to an end when Green was castled in 12th over while trying to pull off Josh Little. Suryakumar hit fours off Noor and Little, before reaching his fifty in 33 balls with a scooped six off the latter, followed by welcoming Mohit with a pulled maximum. ?  But the pacer bounced back immediately as Suryakumar went for another scoop, and saw his leg-stump castled. Concussion substitute Vishnu Vinod also fell to Mohit after spooning a catch to cover, followed by Tim David trapped lbw by Rashid. Mohit took the remaining three wickets to clinch a five-wicket haul in just 14 balls, thus sealing Gujarat's place in the final.  Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 233/3 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 129, B Sai Sudharsan 43; Piyush Chawla 1/45) beat Mumbai Indians 171 in 18.2 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 61, Tilak Varma 43; Mohit Sharma 5/10, Rashid Khan 2/33) by 62 runs. —IANS

After rain delayed the start of Qualifier 2 by 30 minutes, Shubman Gill smashed a majestic 129 off 60 balls

IPL 2023: Gill's majestic 129, Mohit's 5/10 help Gujarat Titans reach final with win over Mumbai Indians 

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya said Shubman Gill hitting centuries consistently in IPL 2023 is making the art of reaching three-figure mark look as easy as having breakfast regularly.  Gill slammed a majestic 129 with the help of ten sixes and seven fours while taking Mumbai's bowlers to cleaners all over the park as Gujarat posted 223/3, which is also his third century of the ongoing season, thus leading the side's 62-run win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 and set up a meeting with Chennai Super Kings in Sunday's final.  "He's making a habit of scoring 100s and he's making it look like it's just breakfast for him. I have been fortunate to see a lot of T20 100s. But what I saw (in this match), was one of the finest I have ever seen. Every time we saw him play those 55 (60) balls, we were like that's a hell of a shot. Very, very, very proud of him," said Pandya during the post-match interaction with Gill in a video posted on IPL's Twitter account.  Pandya also predicted that Gill, currently the leading run-getter in IPL 2023, will soon become one of the biggest superstars of the game.  "Sometimes we have to stop this person because he does a lot of batting. I get scared seeing him bat that much. He deserves every success. This man's gonna be an amazing cricketer, not just in franchise cricket but for India as well. He's already one but he's gonna be the biggest superstar," the GT skipper said.  Talking about his stunning turnaround in form, Gill said getting first IPL century against Sunrisers Hyderabad was a turning point. Since then, Gill scored three centuries in his last four innings of IPL 2023.  "In the first half of the IPL, I was getting those starts. But I wasn't able to convert them so I knew it was all about getting that one hundred and I knew when I'll get that one hundred it's all about mental switch and then you start thinking and playing differently, and that's what worked for me," he said.  Gill also shared about how he manages to stick to his basics of batting amidst a hectic IPL schedule.  "I feel when you play a lot of matches, some things change. You don't realise it because you are trying to do certain things while you are playing and if you don't keep working on your basics when you are playing a lot, we all know how cruel this game is, three odd matches where you don't score and you feel like shit, where are you in this game," the Titans opener said.  "I keep trying to work on my basics, keep trying to go back. My hands, my back lift, my feet, my head position so that there's always a habit of me being in a good base and position and not getting carried away with bad habits that you pick," he added.  The 23-old batter also revealed what Pandya told him after he joined the franchise last year.  "Last year, before starting the IPL, he (Hardik) was the first person who came to me and said, 'you play how you want to play' and I feel before getting a chance to play for GT, sometimes I felt I was trying to play as someone that I wasn't and he gave me that confidence be able to play how I wanted to play. It felt great," said Gill. —IANS

 Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya said Shubman Gill hitting centuries consistently in IPL 2023 is making the art of reaching

IPL 2023: 'Look like it's just breakfast for him', says Hardik on Gill making habit of scoring 100s

Ahmedabad: Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher threw all of his weight behind skipper Rohit Sharma in terms of his lean batting form in IPL 2023, saying the right-handed opener was leading the initiative of batting in the ultra-attacking way they wished for in the competition.  Rohit made only 332 runs in 16 innings of IPL 2023 with just two fifties at a strike rate of 132.80. On Friday, in the Qualifier 2 clash against Gujarat Titans, he could make only eight runs as Mumbai, despite Tilak Varma's attacking 14-ball 43 and Suryakumar Yadav's quick 61, were bowled out for 171 in 18.2 overs, crashing out of the competition.  "Rohit is a quality player. What I do think is that he led from the front in regards to driving toward the sort of way we wanted to play. Our batting this season was fantastic. We went out at the beginning of the season and we looked at our stats and thought we could improve in certain phases of the game. And the captain is the best person to go out there and drive that vision as well."  "So if you look at how we did in the powerplays compared to last season, from 7 to 10, you know we really upped the scoring rates and we played a good positive brand of cricket, which will stand us in good stead because the guys will gain a lot of confidence from that. Unfortunately, T20 game is tough at times and we were outplayed. Gill played a fantastic innings, and unfortunately, we couldn't execute through the night, which happens in T20 cricket," said Boucher in the post-match press conference.  Boucher also expressed happiness with impressive form of young batters like Varma and Nehal Wadhera in the tournament. "With the batting, Nehal been a great find, Tilak's been a great find. They've had some influential innings through the season. On paper and form-wise, our batting looks really strong. The guys are beginning to understand their roles within the team, so I'm very happy with the batting."  Boucher also offered an explanation over why Dewald Brevis didn't get an opportunity to feature for Mumbai in the entire season, after having impressed the onlookers in a few matches last year.  "We want continuity in the team. I feel for Dewald. He hasn't played a game, but there are a lot of other international cricketers who have been sitting on the sidelines as well. Dewald is young. He's going to have plenty of opportunities. We went with continuity within the side. There was no reason to try and change a team that has just won two back-to-back games under pressure. So no, I don't think it was the right call to make."  Boucher also pointed out about the challenges Mumbai's bowlers had to face in the absence of star pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer and Jhye Richardson. "About our bowlers, I think you need to look at it from a different perspective and I think if you have a look at the totals that were scored at Wankhede and chased down."  "Sometimes you can look at the figures and you can say our bowlers were going for a lot of runs and yes, there were certain departments or certain games where we could have bowled a little bit better. We have got quite an inexperienced bowling line-up."  "But we had some good chats and I think we improved as the competition went along, but to look at it because we went for over 200, we also chased a lot of scores over 200. But anyways, anyone who comes to Wankhede will know it is very much a batting-friendly pitch and ground."  "I feel sorry for the bowlers at times. You know, going for scores over 200 can dent your confidence a bit, which probably did to a couple of our bowlers. But yeah, we were chasing scores down of 200+ so you just have to look at it in a different context," he concluded. —IANS

Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher threw all of his weight behind skipper Rohit Sharma 

IPL 2023: Rohit led from the front in terms of driving the way we wanted to play, says Mark Boucher

New Delhi: Former fast-bowler Jason Gillespie believes senior India pacer Mohammed Shami can ask good questions of the Australian battes' defensive techniques if he succeeds in finding some movement off the pitch during the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) Final at The Oval from June 7-11.
With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah absent, Shami will have an important role to play in leading India's charge with the ball in the WTC Final. Shami was the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2023 with 28 scalps, finding success by bowling majorly Test-match lengths.
Against Australia, Shami has picked 40 wickets from 11 Tests at an average of 31.27, with a career-best spell of 6-56. His record of playing Tests in England stands at 38 wickets in 13 games at an average of 40.52, with Shami yet to pick a five-wicket haul in the country.
"Shami impresses me a lot and I love how he keeps running in hard. He does a wonderful job for India. I love that he presents the seam, and releases the ball so well. His wrist and fingers are right behind the ball and you see the seam go all the way down the pitch and he gives the ball a chance to move off the seam. He can swing the ball in the right conditions and can get a little bit of swing," said Gillespie.
"But his seam presentation is as good as anyone in world cricket in my opinion. So I think he's going to play a big role in those conditions if there is any movement to be found off the pitch. Mohammed Shami can certainly exploit that and he can ask some really good questions of the Australian batters' defensive techniques, because he pitches the ball up and when he looks to just get a little bit of movement, then I think he's a fine bowler," said Gillespie in an interview with IANS.
Fellow-pacer Mohammad Siraj was Royal Challengers Bangalore's leading wicket-taker with 19 scalps and found rewards in sticking to an attacking line and length. Against Australia, Siraj has taken 14 wickets in six Tests and averages 32.64, while in England, he has scalped 18 wickets in five matches at an average of 33.
"Siraj is a fine young bowler as well, but he's a different type of bowler. He will look to run in and be quite aggressive and create opportunities for wickets. But he's a slightly different bowler to Shami. But both are fine bowlers and Siraj is going to have a long career ahead of him and for India. He can certainly be a 200-plus Test wicket-taker and he's good enough to do that," added Gillespie.
Bumrah's absence means India must pick either of Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat or Shardul Thakur as their third fast bowler or if conditions demand, take two out of the trio to form a four-man fast-bowling attack.
Gillespie, who previously coached Yorkshire and Sussex in County cricket, feels the Indian team has to make those decisions based on batting depth and who can contribute more in picking 20 wickets in the match.
"If they want some depth in their batting, they may well go with Thakur. I wouldn't be against that as I think he's a very good bowler. I've always liked Umesh Yadav. I just love how he runs in hard and hits the pitch hard. He's got a good bouncer and he bowls with really good airspeed. There's just a lot to like about him and so I wouldn't be against India playing him." "It also depends on what the makeup of the middle order looks like. If they feel they need more batting, they may go with Thakur. But ultimately, they've got to make a decision with their bowling attack -- on what is the lineup that is most likely going to take 20 wickets. That will ultimately decide which way they go, whether they go to the bowling all-rounder or the out-and-out fast bowler."
With spin usually coming into play at The Oval, which will be hosting a Test match for the first time in June and England experiencing mainly sunny weather, Gillespie stated India can play Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja together in the playing eleven, which he sees as an advantage for Rohit Sharma &amp; Co.
"That's the advantage India have -- they can have the wicket-keeper at six, with Jadeja and Ashwin at seven and eight and then pick their best three fast bowlers. That would be a very strong team, and there's no doubt about that because both Jadeja and Ashwin are very fine batters in their own right."
"So there's no reason why India couldn't go down that path. I would suggest they should pick their best three fast bowlers who they feel are going to make an impact and contribute to taking 20 wickets because Ashwin and Jadeja will contribute to taking those 20 wickets, but they'll also contribute really well with the bat."—IANS

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