Gujarat find middle order silver lining in IPL defeat

Table-toppers Gujarat Titans will take heart from the gutsy display by their under-utilised middle order despite their 33-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Thursday.

Gujarat, who have already qualified for the playoffs, are bidding for a second IPL title and much of the credit goes to their gun top order containing opener Sai Sudharsan, skipper Shubman Gill and Englishman Jos Buttler.

The opening pair of Sudharsan (638) and Shubman Gill (636) are the season's top two scorers with Buttler (533) at number six.

Among them, the trio have scored three-fourths of Gujarat's runs this season but their red-hot form means Gujarat's middle order has rarely been tested ahead of the tournaments' business end.

Chasing a steep 236 against Lucknow, Gujarat lost their top three batters inside 10 overs but the middle order duo of Shahrukh Khan (57) and Sherfane Rutherford (38) helped them cross the 200 mark.

"After the first three wickets, our middle order batted really well and brought the game on course," Sudharsan told reporters after their home defeat.

"From there, having four overs and 54 runs on the board, I think on any other day we would have got those runs for the team."

West Indian Rutherford has impressed in the limited opportunities he got, while Shahrukh also looked in touch in a boost for Gujarat, who will be without Buttler in the playoffs as the Englishman returns home for national duty.

"Even in the first six-seven-eight games, Sherfane stepped up and got so many runs in the middle order and changed games for us," Sudharsan said. "Even Shahrukh got an opportunity today to showcase his talent. So I feel the middle order is on course as well.

"I don't think there is some gap or something in the middle order. I feel things went well for all the three batters at the top so they didn't get more opportunity to play in the first half of the tournament."