Mumbai Indians Secure Spot in IPL Qualifier 2 with Thrilling Win Over Gujarat Titans

Mumbai Indians Triumph in Eliminator Match

New Chandigarh: Rohit Sharma's impressive 81 runs, along with the bowling prowess of Trent Boult (2-56) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-27), played a crucial role in the Mumbai Indians' 20-run victory over the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator match, securing their place in Qualifier 2.

Chasing a target of 229, the Gujarat Titans managed to score 208 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their allotted 20 overs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.

With Jos Buttler absent from the lineup, Shubman Gill (1) needed to deliver but fell victim to Boult's opening spell. The Kiwi pacer trapped Gill in front of the wickets, a decision upheld after a failed review by GT, setting the tone for the match.

Following a strong start from Boult and Bumrah, Sudharsan and Kusal Mendis (20) began to accelerate the scoring.

Sudharsan initiated the attack by hitting Boult for a six, while Mendis, stepping in for Buttler, struck consecutive sixes off the left-arm pacer. The left-handed opener showcased his batting skills, finding gaps in the Mumbai bowling attack. Hardik Pandya, bowling for the first time in the power-play, faced three boundaries.

Mendis found himself in a precarious position on the last ball of the power-play due to a running mix-up, but Raj Bawa missed the stumps as GT reached 66/1 with fielding restrictions lifted. Unfortunately for Mendis, his night ended in disaster as he attempted a sweep off Mitchell Santner, slipped, and knocked over his own stumps.

Sudharsan achieved his sixth half-century of the season in just 28 balls, surpassing the 700-run mark for the season, while Washington Sundar (48) settled in. Despite losing wickets, Gujarat maintained a high run rate. Sundar began to accelerate his innings with a four and a six off Pandya, followed by consecutive sixes in an 18-run over from Boult.

As Gujarat approached 150 runs in 13 overs, Hardik turned to his most reliable bowler to break the partnership nearing 100 runs, and Bumrah delivered with a brilliant yorker that bowled Sundar out.

Sherfane Rutherford (24) started strong with three boundaries before Gleeson dismissed Sudharsan, who was bowled while attempting a scoop shot.

Ashwani Kumar and Bumrah kept the boundaries to a minimum, with only nine runs scored in the following overs, while Rahul Tewatia (16) hit a towering six off Bumrah. With 36 runs needed off 12 balls, Boult delivered a perfect ball, but Rutherford's connection sent the ball straight to Tilak Varma at deep mid-wicket.

With 30 runs required off seven balls, Shahrukh Khan (13) hit a massive six off Boult, energizing the crowd. Gleeson was tasked with the final six deliveries but struggled, bowling only three and conceding runs. Ashwani Kumar completed the remaining overs, dismissing Shahrukh to secure the 20-run win.

After opting to bat first, Rohit and Jonny Bairstow (47) laid a solid foundation, leading Mumbai Indians to a formidable total of 228/5 in 20 overs.

Rohit's innings, characterized by his powerful hitting, included nine boundaries and four sixes. However, he was dropped twice, marking a challenging day for the 2022 champions in the field.

His first reprieve came when he was on three runs, as Rohit pulled a shot towards Gerald Coetzee, who fumbled the catch. In the next over, Rohit capitalized on his luck, hitting Mohammed Siraj for consecutive boundaries. Siraj nearly had him again, finding Rohit's edge, but Mendis failed to catch it.

Bairstow, making his debut for MI, aggressively attacked the bowlers, scoring 26 runs off Prasidh Krishna in one over, including three sixes. The duo helped MI achieve their highest power-play total in IPL playoffs with 79/0 in six overs.

After dropping two catches, Sai Sudharsan made a remarkable catch to deny Bairstow a half-century. Attempting a reverse sweep off Sai Kishore, Bairstow's shot was intercepted by Sudharsan, who completed the catch.

Rohit reached his fourth half-century of the season in just 28 balls.

MI's standout player, Suryakumar Yadav (33), was aggressive, hitting Coetzee for two consecutive sixes. GT missed another chance when Mendis failed to catch a ball that could have dismissed Yadav.

The 34-year-old extended his record with a 15th consecutive score of over 25 in a men's T20 competition before misplaying a sweep shot off Sai Kishore, leading to his dismissal.

Rohit and Tilak Varma (25) both hit sixes off Coetzee before Rohit's innings concluded. A slower delivery from Prasidh Krishna resulted in Rohit getting a top edge, caught safely by Rashid.

Despite conceding 53 runs in his four overs, Prasidh managed to take Naman Dhir's (9) wicket in the penultimate over, while MI crossed the 200-run mark.

Skipper Hardik Pandya (22) finished strong, hitting Coetzee for three sixes in the final over, leading MI to a total of 228/5.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 228/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 81, Jonny Bairstow 47, Suryakumar Yadav 33; Sai Kishore 2-42, Prasidh Krishna 2-53) beat Gujarat Titans 208/6 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 80, Washington Sundar 48; Trent Boult 2-56, Jasprit Bumrah 1-27) by 20 runs.