Boucher Calls Siraj's First-Ball Samson Dismissal a Massive GT Moment

'Dismissing Samson on the first ball was a massive moment for GT': Boucher

New Delhi, May 22

Defending a daunting 229-run target, GT struck immediately when Siraj induced an edge from Samson on the very first ball of the innings. CSK never recovered from the early collapse and were eventually bowled out for 140 in just 13.4 overs, a result that also knocked the five-time champions out of playoff contention.

Boucher felt Samson was the one batter capable of mounting a serious challenge in the chase and credited Siraj for executing his plans perfectly.

"Sanju Samson was probably the one batter who could have posed a real challenge for the Gujarat Titans in that chase, so dismissing him on the first ball was a massive moment in the game," Boucher told Jio Hotstar.

"Mohammed Siraj executed his plan perfectly, especially on a red-soil surface where he could pitch the ball up and allow it to swing. The line and length were spot on, and he immediately found the edge. That wicket dealt a huge blow to CSK's hopes because once Samson fell early, they were always going to need something extraordinary to recover from there," he added.

Siraj went on to finish with figures of 3-26, while Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan also picked up three wickets each as GT sealed a top-two finish in the points table.

Earlier, opening pair of Shubman Gill (64) and B Sai Sudharsan (84) once again laid the foundation for a massive total with a 125-run partnership, before Jos Buttler's unbeaten 57 off 27 balls propelled GT to 229/4.

"Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan stand out because of the consistency with which they score runs and the hunger they continue to show every single game. In an era where T20 batting is often associated with constant innovation and high-risk shots, they rely heavily on strong cricketing basics and proper shot-making," said Boucher.

"A lot of their boundaries come from pure timing and conventional cricket shots rather than forcing the game. What makes them so effective is that they still manage to put bowling attacks under pressure consistently while maintaining that control and composure at the crease," he added.

The latest century stand between Gill and Sudharsan also saw them equal the IPL record for most 100-run partnerships in tournament history with 10, matching the tally of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

— IANS