Gujarat Titans maintained their dominance over Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad, achieving a decisive 36-run victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The batting effort was spearheaded by Sai Sudharsan, who scored 63 runs off 41 balls, along with contributions from Shubman Gill (38 runs off 27 balls) and Jos Buttler (39 runs off 24 balls). After being invited to bat first, the Titans set a formidable total of 196 for 8 on a pitch that exhibited some low bounce. Mohammed Siraj made early breakthroughs, while Prasidh Krishna tightened the grip later in the innings, resulting in Mumbai Indians suffering their second consecutive defeat in this tournament.
Gujarat Titans set up a productive batting total
Gill hit a few boundaries in the initial two overs, but Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar maintained disciplined lines, providing minimal opportunities for the batters. Sudharsan injected some momentum with a beautiful straight drive and a flick for two fours off Boult, but Chahar’s five-run over once again slowed GT’s progress. The turning point occurred with the introduction of spin; Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, who took over from Will Jacks, was hit for a four and a straight six by Sudharsan, while Gill also contributed a boundary in a 15-run over.
The GT captain launched Chahar straight down the ground for his first six, followed by a powerful pull for four, with overthrows adding extra runs for the home side. Chahar’s 20-run over concluded a fruitful end to the first phase, with GT accumulating 53% of their PowerPlay runs in the last two overs. Following a strong start, GT’s momentum waned as Hardik Pandya and Mitchell Santner bowled effectively in tandem. The need to accelerate resulted in Gill’s dismissal for 38, as he pulled Pandya’s delivery straight to deep square leg.
Buttler quickly targeted Santner, hitting a six (with Satyanarayana Raju missing a catch near the boundary) and a four, allowing GT to reach the halfway mark with a run rate exceeding nine. MI wasted a review when Pandya believed Buttler had edged one to the keeper, but replays confirmed no contact was made. Buttler took advantage of a misfield by Naman Dhir to score another four off Santner, followed by boundaries from both batters off Raju. The partnership of 50 was established rapidly, with Buttler contributing 39 runs before Mujeeb made a breakthrough. Playing a supportive role during the middle overs, Sudharsan reached a fifty off 33 balls as GT maintained a scoring rate above nine.
Shahrukh Khan was given preference over Sherfane Rutherford but was dismissed quickly, succumbing to Pandya after hitting a short ball for six. Rutherford and Sudharsan then targeted the less experienced Raju, each hitting a six during a 19-run 17th over. Rutherford also sent a delivery from Trent Boult over the mid-wicket boundary, but Sudharsan was dismissed in the same over, falling LBW to a well-placed yorker. Shortly thereafter, a direct hit from Pandya resulted in Rahul Tewatia being run out without facing a delivery, and Rutherford was caught near the boundary off Deepak Chahar in the same over. Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan then added the finishing touches, delivering a couple of powerful strikes in the final two overs to elevate GT’s score beyond 190.
Mumbai Indians' batting lineup chokes yet again
Rohit Sharma capitalized on a few loose deliveries from Siraj, but the bowler responded effectively with a well-executed scrambled seam delivery that resulted in the dismissal of the star batter. Tilak Varma took on Kagiso Rabada, hitting two boundaries and an audacious scoop shot for a six. However, Siraj’s economical six-run over, followed by a frugal two-run over from impact substitute Ishant Sharma, increased the pressure on the Mumbai Indians (MI). Ryan Rickelton was the next to be dismissed, edging a delivery from Siraj, while Suryakumar flicked the pacer for a six.
Tilak was initially given out leg-before while attempting a reverse sweep off Rashid, but he successfully reviewed the decision. Rashid, in the meantime, conceded only four runs, leaving MI 18 runs short of Gujarat Titans’ (GT) PowerPlay score. With the field spread out, Rabada delivered an economical over, but Ishant struggled in his second over, conceding a four to Tilak and a six to Suryakumar. The following over, bowled by R Sai Kishore, yielded 11 runs, including a four from Suryakumar, while Sudharsan had to leave the field after sustaining an injury while attempting to stop a boundary. Rashid managed a six-run over, but MI had reduced the deficit by the end of the 10th over, trailing GT’s score by only six runs at that point.
However, Tilak had slowed his scoring rate, and in an effort to relieve the pressure, he attempted to attack Prasidh but was unsuccessful. Suryakumar hit a six off Sai Kishore, but the impact substitute Robin Minz was dismissed in the same over, as the contest continued to see back-and-forth exchanges. Suryakumar was also struck on the helmet while trying to scoop a short, slow delivery from Prasidh, who only conceded four runs in his second over. Despite being hit for a boundary, Sai Kishore allowed just six runs in the 15th over, leaving MI with a required run rate exceeding 15 for the final five overs.
Prasidh had already delivered a crucial strike and bowled two tight overs. And at the end of his third over, he dealt a mighty blow as Suryakumar fell to a slower delivery, leaving MI needing 77 off 24. A struggling Pandya fell to Rabada trying to play a ramp shot as GT further strengthened their grip on the game. Dhir and Santner struck a few boundaries but it was too late by then and all they could do was narrow the margin of defeat.
SCORECARD: Gujarat Titans 196/8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 63, Jos Buttler 39, Shubman Gill 38; Hardik Pandya 2-29) beat Mumbai Indians 160/6 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 48, Tilak Varma 39; Prasidh Krishna 2-18, Mohammed Siraj 2-34) by 36 runs
