IPL Eliminator: Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Titans by 20 runs

Mumbai Indians ended Gujarat Titans’ impressive run this season with a 20-run win in the IPL Eliminator. In a thrilling contest that went down to the wire, the five-time champions held their nerve to advance. They now face table-toppers Punjab in Qualifier 2 for a place in Sunday’s final.

It has boiled down to the final over. 24 need off six balls. Gleeson begins to bowl, but pulls up and then starts to bowl.

Thirty-six needed off the last two overs — the match is still alive, and one big over could turn it. But there are no favourites now; it’s that close.

Trent Boult, though, may have just tilted the scales. The left-arm pacer dismissed Sherfane Rutherford off the very first ball of the 19th over, pushing Gujarat further into trouble. Every ball counts from here.

Gujarat’s troubles have deepened — and with Sai Sudarshan’s dismissal, so too have their chances. The left-hander displayed remarkable composure to steer the chase, but missed a full toss and was bowled for a brilliant 80.

It was a fine knock under pressure, but his wicket has left Gujarat with a steep task and little batting depth to fall back on. They now need 54 from 24 balls, and Mumbai have the upper hand.

Whenever Mumbai are under pressure, the captain turns to Jasprit Bumrah — and the ace pacer rarely disappoints. This time, he delivered a pinpoint yorker to end Washington Sundar’s explosive innings and halt Gujarat’s charge.

The breakthrough has swung the balance slightly back in Mumbai’s favour. Gujarat now need 68 from 30 balls, and the pressure is beginning to tell.

Sai Sudarshan and Washington Sundar have turned up the heat on Mumbai Indians, putting the bowlers under serious pressure. With the dew easing conditions for batting, the pair have capitalised brilliantly, adding 81 runs in just 40 balls for the third wicket.

Washington has been the aggressor, racing to 47 off 22, while Sudarshan continues his sublime knock on 77 not out. At 148 for 2 after 13 overs, Gujarat now need just 81 from 42 balls — and the momentum is firmly with them.

At the halfway stage, Gujarat Titans have clawed their way back into the contest, with Sai Sudarshan leading a composed yet fluent chase. There's little separating the current and required run rates — a positive sign for the 2022 champions.

Sudarshan is unbeaten on 67 off just 36 balls, playing with control and elegance, while Washington Sundar has chipped in with a brisk 16 to keep the momentum going. After 10 overs, Gujarat are 106 for 2, needing another 123 off 60 balls.

Mumbai have responded by bringing in left-arm pacer Ashwini Kumar as their Impact Player.

It feels as if luck has abandoned Gujarat Titans. After sloppy fielding and missed chances earlier in the evening, a promising partnership between Kusal Mendis and Sai Sudharsan ended in the most unfortunate fashion.

While attempting a pull shot, Mendis lost his footing and accidentally dislodged the bails with his boot — a bizarre dismissal that halted Gujarat’s momentum just as things were heating up.

Still, Sudharsan continues to time the ball beautifully, picking gaps at will and drawing applause even from Mumbai players. The elegant left-hander has scored 59 of Gujarat’s 85 runs, keeping the chase alive after 8 overs.

It’s a big stage and a massive testing ground for Sai Sudharsan. He has the skills — but does he have the temperament to soak up the pressure? The answer is a resounding yes.

Unflustered by Mumbai’s classy attack, the left-hander made batting look effortless with a range of orthodox strokes, challenging the notion that only power-hitting brings runs in Twenty20 cricket.

Sudharsan and Kusal Mendis have now added 63 runs in quick time to take Gujarat to 66 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. Game on.

Gujarat Titans didn’t get the start they were hoping for, with skipper Shubman Gill falling in the very first over. But despite the early blow in their daunting chase of 229, Sai Sudharsan and Kusal Mendis have kept hopes alive, guiding the team to 41 for 1 after four overs.

Sudharsan, batting on 23, has now crossed the 700-run mark this season — a standout achievement. However, maintaining this momentum across the full innings will be a tall task.

Led by a stunning — and at times chancy — knock from Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians piled up a massive 228 for 5 against Gujarat Titans. From the toss onward, little went right for Gujarat, with their bowlers straying from their usual tight lines and dropping three costly catches. Mumbai capitalised fully, with Rohit and Jonny Bairstow — playing his first match of the season — putting on an explosive 84-run stand in just 7.2 overs.

That blistering start laid the foundation for a sustained attack, even though three late wickets prevented an ideal finish. Skipper Hardik Pandya stepped up at the death, unleashing a late assault to push Mumbai to one of the highest-ever playoff totals.

South African pacer Gerald Coetzee had a night to forget, dropping a catch and conceding 51 runs in his three overs, including 22 off the final over. This total is now the second-highest in IPL playoff history.

Gujarat Titans now need something special — especially from Orange Cap holder Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill — to mount a serious chase. But with the likes of Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mitchell Santner in Mumbai’s attack, this looks like a near-impossible task. Mumbai have one foot in the next round.

Tilak Varma has had a relatively quiet IPL season, but the young batter showcased his big-hitting prowess after Rohit Sharma fell for 81 — third time unlucky, with Rashid Khan holding on to the catch.

Varma’s quickfire 25 off 11 balls gave Mumbai another boost before he too departed, offering Gujarat some relief. But the damage is already done. After 18 overs, Mumbai are 198 for 4. Despite having two new batters at the crease, Mumbai will be eyeing at least another 24 runs in the final two overs.

Wickets are gold in Twenty20 cricket. When Sai Kishore dismissed Suryakumar Yadav in the 13th over — his second wicket of the match — Mumbai Indians were 143 for 2 after 13 overs. The wicket slowed the momentum, but Rohit Sharma has now decided to increase the tempo.

The last three overs have yielded 26 runs. After 15 overs, Mumbai are 160 for 2, with Rohit on 74, well set for another century.

Nothing is going right for Gujarat. Three dropped catches, the latest by Kusal Mendis off Suryakumar Yadav after the Mumbai batter smashed two sixes in consecutive deliveries, have put serious pressure on the 2022 champions.

After 12 overs, Mumbai are 134 for 1 with Rohit on 58 and SKY on 26. With wickets in hand, Mumbai could add another 110 runs in the remaining eight overs.

Mumbai have the match firmly in their control.

Gujarat finally break the partnership after the pair added 84 runs in just seven overs, with a sharp relay catch at the 30-yard circle. But the bigger trouble looms. Rohit Sharma has now hit top gear, crossing 7,000 IPL runs and joining Virat Kohli with his 300th six.

After 9.1 overs, Mumbai stand at 105 for 1, with Rohit reaching his half-century off just 28 balls. Trouble for Gujarat continues.

Bairstow on fire. The England opener has been at his aggressive best, racing to 44 off just 17 balls. Rohit Sharma didn’t want to be left behind and has now found his timing, moving to 33 off 19 balls as Mumbai reach 79 without loss at the end of the powerplay.

While Chennai fans have little to cheer this season, the only consolation in the Eliminator is that four players from Chennai Super Kings are representing Gujarat Titans.

Mumbai opener Rohit Sharma is living dangerously after surviving two dropped catches in quick succession — one on 3 and another on 12. Now, it’s up to the former skipper to make Gujarat pay for their lapses. The pressure is clearly showing on Gujarat in the field, with their bowling wayward and lacking the consistency that had been their hallmark until now. After three overs, Mumbai are 28 without loss.

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bat first on a good pitch. Mumbai have brought in Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson, while Gujarat have included Kusal Mendis and Washington Sundar for this crucial contest.

“It’s a big game, scoring runs will be nice. IPL is fun like that. For almost nine games, we have been playing like a knockout, so we take this as a normal game and go on,” Pandya said at the toss.