Mumbai Indians Triumph Over Gujarat Titans By 20 Runs: Set To Battle Punjab Kings In Qualifier 2 (Image: X/hardikpandya)

In the IPL 2025 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mumbai Indians (MI) emerged victorious over Gujarat Titans (GT) by 20 runs on Friday, sealing their place in Qualifier 2, where they will meet Punjab Kings for a shot at the IPL Final.

Led by a dominant 81-run knock from Rohit Sharma and explosive cameos from the middle order, MI set a daunting total of 228/6. Despite a valiant fightback from Sai Sudarshan, who scored a blistering 80, Gujarat fell short, managing just 208/8 in response.

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Match Summary:

• Mumbai Indians Innings:
  After winning the toss, MI’s captain, Hardik Pandya, elected to bat first, a decision that proved to be spot-on as MI’s top order delivered an electrifying start. Jonny Bairstow, playing his first match of the season in place of Ryan Rickelton, looked in fine form, smashing 47 runs off 22 balls. His aggressive 84-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma laid the foundation for MI’s big total.

  Despite Bairstow’s dismissal in the eighth over, Rohit Sharma anchored the innings with a controlled yet aggressive 81 runs off 50 balls, including several powerful hits. Rohit was fortunate to survive two dropped catches early in his innings, which allowed him to punish Gujarat’s bowlers.

  Following Bairstow’s departure, the middle order continued to fire. Suryakumar Yadav contributed 33 runs off 20 balls, and Tilak Varma added 25 off 11 balls, keeping the pressure on the Gujarat bowlers. Pandya, the MI skipper, finished with a quickfire 22 not out off 12 balls, taking the team’s total to a mammoth 228/6 in 20 overs.

• Gujarat Titans’ Response:
  Chasing such a daunting target, Gujarat’s innings got off to a disastrous start with their captain, Shubman Gill, dismissed for just 1 run in the first over, trapped LBW by Trent Boult.

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  Despite the early setback, Sai Sudarshan, who has been in stellar form throughout the tournament, took charge and played a sublime knock of 80 runs off 49 balls. This was Sudarshan’s sixth half-century of the season, reinforcing his reputation as a reliable batter under pressure.

  Kusal Mendis (20 off 10 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 24 balls) provided able support to Sudarshan, with Sundar in particular putting the pressure back on MI by hitting two consecutive sixes off Boult. However, despite these efforts, the required run rate continued to climb, and Gujarat was always playing catch-up.

  The turning point came when Jasprit Bumrah was brought back into the attack by Pandya. He delivered a precise yorker that rattled Sundar’s stumps, sending him back for a well-made 48. Shortly after, Richard Gleeson bowled Sudarshan, reducing Gujarat to 158/6 and effectively ending their hopes of a comeback.

  MI’s bowlers held their nerve in the final overs, with Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah delivering key breakthroughs at crucial moments. Gujarat’s tail couldn’t manage the required acceleration, and they were restricted to 208/8, falling short by 20 runs.