“Most underrated finisher” – Fans erupt as Shimron Hetmyer scores 56* off 26 balls as RR beat GT in IPL 2023

Shimron Hetmyer shone for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their three-wicket victory against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023. The match took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 16.

Chasing 178, the left-hander remained unbeaten on 56 off 26 balls to take RR home with four balls to spare. His innings comprised five sixes and two boundaries. Hetmyer also shared crucial fifty partnerships with skipper Sanju Samson (60 off 32) and Dhruv Jurel (18 off 10) to recover RR from 55/4 and lead RR’s fightback.

The 26-year-old has been consistent with the bat in IPL 2023. He has scored 183 runs in five games at a strike rate of 184.84. For the uninitiated, he has only been dismissed once (versus Punjab Kings) in five outings this season. RR retained Hetmyer for INR 8.5 crore after he scored 314 runs in 15 games at a strike rate of 153.92 during the IPL 2022 campaign.

Fans online labeled Shimron Hetmyer as an ‘underrated finisher’ for his match-winning knock against GT and sublime form in IPL 2023.

Here are some of the best Twitter reactions:

#SanjuSamson – top scorer for RR in 3 matches and the lowest scorer in the other 2 . He showed his class in today’s match. #ShimronHetmyer – Wonderful finish! What a win for the Rajasthan Royals!!

#SanjuSamson – top scorer for RR in 3 matches and the lowest scorer in the other 2 📷. He showed his class in today’s match. #ShimronHetmyer – Wonderful finish! What a win for the Rajasthan Royals!!

Congratulations to @RajasthanRoyals for a well-deserved victory over the Gujarat Titans! A thrilling match that showcased some amazing performances from both sides. What an amazing display of batting by Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer. twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/s…

WHAT A WIN FOR THE ROYALS!

On 66/4 after 12 overs needing 112 from 48 to win, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer blast them to victory with four balls to spare!

es.pn/IPL2023-M23 | #GTvRR | #IPL2023

WHAT A WIN FOR THE ROYALS!On 66/4 after 12 overs needing 112 from 48 to win, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer blast them to victory with four balls to spare!es.pn/IPL2023-M23 | #GTvRR | #IPL2023 https://t.co/1ErUHLxrub

Congratulations to @RajasthanRoyals for a well-deserved victory over the Gujarat Titans! A thrilling match that showcased some amazing performances from both sides. What an amazing display of batting by Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer. 👏 twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/s…

“They beat us thrice last year but today was sort of a revenge” – Shimron Hetmyer after his stellar knock against Gujarat Titans

Shimron Hetmyer sounded delighted as the Rajasthan Royals finally overcame Gujarat Titans after a hat-trick of losses. He further added that it was just his intuition to take a couple of runs off the first ball during the 20th over before finishing it off with a maximum.

Speaking on the post-match show, Hetmyer said:

“I don’t have any words. Difficult to win against these guys, they beat us thrice last year but today was sort of a revenge. I practice these situations, it helps when you practice with that mindset of knowing we are a few wickets down and chasing 100 with 8 overs to go.”

He continued:

“(On Noor Ahmed bowling the last over) I was actually pretty happy, to be honest, he bowled well throughout, so the first ball all I was thinking about was getting that double and take it from there.”

IPL 2023 Table toppers RR will play their next game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home on Wednesday, April 19.

Click here to check out the GT vs RR full scorecard.