Gill guides Gujarat to a 7-wicket win over Hyderabad in IPL

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Shubman Gill scored a well-calculated 61 runs not out as Gujarat Titans beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets with 20 balls remaining in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

It was Gill’s first half-century of the season and it helped Gujarat climb to second in the points table with a third consecutive win. Gill hit nine fours in his 43-ball knock.

Spin all-rounder Washington Sundar contributed 49 off 29 in the successful chase as Gujarat finished with 153-3 in 16.4 overs.

Hyderabad earlier suffered another poor batting display and was restricted to 152-8 in 20 overs after losing the toss. Pacer Mohammed Siraj picked up 4-17 in four overs.

It was a fourth consecutive loss for Hyderabad as it languishes in last place in the 10-team table.

Hyderabad’s hard-hitting top order failed to get going once again and crumbled against Siraj’s opening spell. Travis Head was caught for eight and Abhishek Sharma dismissed for 18.

Ishan Kishan, a centurion in the first game, scored only 17 before falling to Prasidh Krishna, as the 2024 runners-up were reduced to 50-3 in 7.2 overs.

The run rate was still decent and Nitish Reddy put on 50 off 39 balls with Heinrich Klaasen (27) for the fourth wicket.

Klaasen, the most expensive overseas player this season, is yet to score a half-century in five matches. He faced 19 balls, and hit two fours and a six.

Reddy top-scored for his team with 31 off 34, including three fours, as Gujarat spinners tightened their grip. Sai Kishore took 2-24 in four overs, even as Rashid Khan went for 0-31 in his spell.

Hyderabad continued losing regular wickets after the fourth-wicket partnership ended in the 14th over. Skipper Pat Cummins’ nine-ball cameo at the end – 22 not out with three fours and a six – saw his side cross the 150-mark.

Gujarat’s reply didn’t start well.

Mohammed Shami (2-28) sent back Sai Sudharsan for five. Cummins then claimed the big wicket of in-form Jos Buttler – caught behind for a three-ball duck.

That brought Gill and Sundar together, and they put on a match-winning partnership for the third wicket.

The duo added 90 off 56 balls, with Sundar taking the attacking role. Promoted to No. 4 in the lineup, Sundar smashed five fours and two sixes.

Shami got the breakthrough against the run of play when Sundar was dismissed at the start of the 14th over. But Sundar was replaced by an even more aggressive Sherfane Rutherford, who came in as an impact substitute.

The West Indies all-rounder hit 35 not out off 16 balls, including six fours and a six to help wrap up things quickly for Gujarat.

Gill reached his 50 in 36 balls and stayed on till the end.

Sunday’s doubleheader was reduced to a single game. Kolkata Knight Riders was supposed to host Lucknow SuperGiants but it was shifted to Tuesday after a request from Kolkata police due to religious festivities in the city.

Tuesday will become a doubleheader: Punjab will host Chennai in the evening after the Kolkata-Lucknow game.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Gujarat Titans' captain Shubman Gill and Sherfane Rutherford bump fists during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Mohammed Shami celebrates the wicket of Gujarat Titans' Washington Sundar during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Nitish Kumar Reddy plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Gujarat Titans' Mohammed Siraj celebrates the wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Aniket Verma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Gujarat Titans' Mohammed Siraj leaps in an attempt to catch the ball during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Gujarat Titans' Washington Sundar runs between the wickets during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Gujarat Titans' Washington Sundar plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Gujarat Titans' captain Shubman Gill celebrates his fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Hayley Scamurra and Kelly Pannek scored two goals each as the United States routed Finland 7-1 in their opening game at the women’s hockey world championship on Wednesday.

Captain Hilary Knight, making her 15th world championship appearance, and Taylor Heise both had a goal and an assist, and Lee Stecklein also scored for the U.S.

Goaltender Aerin Frankel saved 19 shots in a Group A match between last year’s runner-up U.S. and the bronze medalist.

Petra Nieminen scored the lone goal for Finland on a power play.

“It was a big win,” Knight said. “Finland’s a great team, and we had all lines, all D-pairings going, which is really nice, and some great individual performances.”

Scamurra put the Americans 1-0 up 2:44 into the game on a rebound and doubled the advantage moments later. Pannek increased the lead to 3-0 from the slot in the first period as the Americans stormed the ice early and she finished off the rout with her second goal in the final period.

Defenseman Stecklein, who took the past year off to focus on her PWHL career, marked her return with a goal from a backhand shot in the second period.

In another Group A game, the Czech Republic blanked Switzerland 3-0.

Klára Hymlárová, Kristýna Kaltounková and Tereza Pištěková all scored for the hosts and goaltender Klára Peslarová made 26 saves for the shutout.

Earlier, Sweden defeated Germany 5-2 in their opening game in Group B.

Hanna Thuvik scored the first goal of the tournament 10:34 into the opening period for Sweden. Mira Hallin doubled the lead midway through the second.

Luisa Welcke reduced the German deficit to 2-1 in the second period before Anna Kjellbin and Thea Johansson both scored in the third for Sweden.

Emily Nix netted in the third for Germany on a power play, with Hanna Olsson finishing off the five-goal Swedish tally by scoring into an empty net.

The U.S. and defending champion Canada are the tournament favorites, continuing a long-standing cross-border rivalry. Canada has won 13 world titles followed by the U.S. with 10 spanning the previous 23 championships.

Finland is the only other team apart from Canada and the U.S. to reach the final, doing so in 2019.

Canada opens its title defense against Finland on Thursday.

The 12-day, 10-nation tournament in the southern Czech city of Ceske Budejovice represents the final major international tune-up before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.

The teams are divided into two groups for a preliminary round. All five teams from Group A and the top three from Group B qualify for the playoffs.

The bottom two from Group B, which also features Japan, Norway and Hungary, are relegated.

AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Finland's Elisa Holopainen, rear, chases United States' Caroline Harvey during a Group A match at the women's ice hockey world championships, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)

United States' Hilary Knight celebrates a goal during a Group A match against Finland at the women's ice hockey world championships, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)

Swedish players celebrate victory after the IIHF Women's World Championship, Group B, match between Sweden and Germany, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Pavlicek Lubos/CTK via AP)

From left, Celina Haider of Germany, Tabea Botthof of Germany, as Hanna Thuvik of Sweden scores against goalkeeper Sandra Abstreiter of Germany and Sara Hjalmarsson of Sweden during the IIHF Women's World Championship, Group B, match between Sweden and Germany, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Pavlicek Lubos/CTK via AP)

From left, Megan Keller of the U.S, Julia Schalin of Finland, Laila Edwards of the U.S., goalkeeper Aerin Frankel of the U.S. and Sanni Rantal of Finland in action during the ice hockey IIHF Women's World Championship Group A match between Finland and U.S., in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)

US players celebrate a goal during the ice hockey IIHF Women's World Championship Group A match between Finland and US, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)

From left, Siiri Yrjöl of Finland and Kelly Pannek of the U.S. in action during the ice hockey IIHF Women's World Championship Group A match between Finland and US, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)

Luisa Welcke, left, of Germany and Thea Johansson of Sweden compete during the IIHF Women's World Championship Group B match Sweden vs Germany, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, on April 9, 2025.(Pavlicek Lubos/CTK via AP)