IPL 2022: Gujarat Titans implode as Mumbai Indians win a thriller by five runs

Kolkata: Gujarat Titans imploded after a dream start by their openers Wriddhiman Saha (55 off 40 balls) and Shubman Gill (52 off 36) as Mumbai Indians kept their nerves to close out a thrilling five-run victory at the Brabourne Stadium.

Chasing a competitive target of 178 on a belter of a wicket, the table-toppers were off to a solid start with Saha playing the aggressor before Gill caught up with him. They had reached 106 without loss when Mumbai leg spinner Murugan Ashwin struck in a vital over to remove both of them.

The chase was very much on but unlike their previous wins, Gujarat kept on losing wickets today and skipper Hardik Pandya’s dismissal (24 run out) took things down to the wire. Rahul Tewatia also fell to the pressure to be run out in a tense final over where they needed nine runs and David Miller failed to take them over the line with six runs needed off last ball.

Mumbai Indians had earlier failed to capitalise on a fluent opening stand between Rohit Sharma (43 runs off 28 balls) and Ishan Kishan (45 off 29) before finally managing to rustle up a competitive total of 177 for six wickets.

Pandya run out

Pandya's run out in 18th over makes it really tight for Gujarat but it's still within their control. Tewatia joins Miller in the middle as they now need 20 off last two overs.

Unlucky dismissal

Pollard, having failed with the bat, is doing it with the ball. A slow bouncer from him gets young Sai Sudarshan taking a mighty heave at it and the bat rattles the bails on follow through for hit-wicket. It's down to final four overs now as Miller joins his skipper.

Double strike by Ashwin

Murugan Ashwin the leg spinner finally gives Mumbai the breakthrough as both openers hole out in the deep. This brings two new batters in the middle as the asking rate is almost 10 at this point. Can Gujarat complete their chase routine with success today?

Gill finds his rhythm

Gujarat openers continue on a strong note as Gill has finally got his rhythm back. None of the bowlers have been able to create an impact on this surface. It's not everyday that Bumrah goes for 26 in his first two overs upfront.

A 50-run partnership

It's been a solid start from Gujarat. Saha, playing to his brief, attacks Bumrah and plays the aggressor while Gill seems to be settling down after a maximum against leg spinner Murugan Ashwin. 54/0 after Powerplay.

Mid-match summary: Gujarat Titans bowlers pull it back

Kolkata: Mumbai Indians failed to capitalise on a fluent opening stand between Rohit Sharma (43 runs off 28 balls) and Ishan Kishan (45 off 29) before finally managing to rustle up a competitive total of 177 for six wickets against table toppers Gujarat Titans this evening.

Put into bat on what looked a belter of a wicket, the ‘Hitman’ looked in the zone before he rather went for a rather risky reverse sweep against Rashid Khan and was ruled leg before after a review. Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav followed soon after – handing back the initiative to a disciplined and efficient Gujarat attack.

The eventual total looks 10-15 runs short on this wicket and shorter boundaries, but the five-time champions will have to thank Tim David for it. One of the few buys from an Associate nation, the Hong Kong batter did not get much game time this seasonbut showed what Mumbai were missing with a big-hitting 44 off 21 balls.

Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers (2-24) with two wickets of the rival skipper and big man Kieron Pollard.

David makes it count

Tim David, the hulk from Hong Kong, is showing he deserved more game time for MI than he actually got. Going at a 190-plus strike-rate, he and Tilak Verma are looking to take it to 170-plus but will it be enough?

Rashid on the money

Rashid is doing the damage again, claiming the big wicket of Pollard. The West Indian was looking to play out his overs but the canny leg spinner gets one to spin away from him as Pollard plays down the wrong line and loses his off stump. The quick wickets have certainly slowed down Mumbai.  

Look who's there...

Sangwan rewarded

Gujarat pull back with two key wickets of SKY and Kishan. Pradeep Sangwan's ability to take the pace off the ball works as SKY mistimes a shot and is taken at mid wicket by Rashid Khan. Kishan, looking good in his 45, follows soon after. 

Rashid does the damage

Rohit goes for a reverse sweep against Rashid and is caught in front of the wicket. Initially ruled not out, Titans decide to go upstairs and are awarded with a big breakthrough. The Hitman was looking so good that he could have just carried on. 

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MI's best Powerplay

The bat swing of Rohit looks ominous as MI are enjoying a great Powerplay. The pressure is on Pandya, who brings in Rashid Khan & then Lockie Ferguson but neither make an impact as the five-time champions race to 63/0.

'Hitman' looks good

The strip looks a belter and one wonders if Pandya's call to field was a prudent one. Rohit Sharma is looking good as he opens with a lofted off drive off Alzarri Joseph for first four of the day. A pick-up shot off Shami, albeit a cheeky one, flies for six over fine leg. 

Gujarat opt to bowl

Welcome to Match No.51 of the season. Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya wins the toss and elects to field at Brabourne. The table-toppers have then gone back to their template of chasing and will want to rock the Mumbai top order early on.

Kolkata: Table-toppers Gujarat Titans, the surprise package of IPL 2022, will be looking to seal the play-off spot with just two more points when they take on a misfiring Mumbai Indians in Match No.51 at the Brabourne Stadium this evening.

The Hardik Pandya-led team, written off before the tournament, had grown stronger with each game to emerge as a major title-contender and nobody is reading much into a freak loss against Punjab Kings in the last game. It would be, however, interesting to see if Pandya prefers the experiment of batting first again with an eye on getting used to all kinds of scenarios ahead of the business-end of the tournament.

An interesting sub-plot of the game will be how Pandya fares in this game – his first against the old franchise which had released both the Pandya brothers after a long association. The ongoing season has seen a resurgence of sorts in Hardik the performer as well as the birth of a new leader.

However, one should write off Mumbai only at their own peril. With a first win under their belt in the last game against Rajasthan Royals after eight losses on the trot, Rohit Sharma’s men will go into this match with no pressure.

Can the 'Mumbai Paltans' spoil Gujarat's party and make them wait?