Mumbai Indians defeat Gujarat Titans to enter IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

After posting a mammoth 228/5 on the back of Rohit Sharma's scintillating 81 off 50, they held their nerves through a strong fight from GT, winning by 20 runs.

MI's batting effort saw contributions through the order, including Jonny Bairstow's 22-ball 47 at the top. GT's chase was led by Orange Cap holder Sai Sudharsan's 80(49), but MI defended 24 off the final over to keep their title hopes alive. Courtesy of this win, MI will now face Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the right to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Tuesday's final.

After winning the toss, MI’s batting effort was a story of some flawless ball-striking sprinkled with a few lucky escapes along the way.

Dropped on three by Gerald Coetzee at fine leg in just the second over and wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis on 12 in the very next over, Rohit Sharma made the most of those reprieves. However, the momentum in MI’s innings was injected by Jonny Bairstow.

Bairstow’s power and timing were on full display as he smashed 26 runs off Purple Cap contender Prasidh Krishna in the fourth over, including three sixes and two fours. Rohit joined the party with 14 off Sai Kishore’s over, and MI were flying along at 79/0 after the powerplay.

Coetzee made amends for his earlier drop, but the majority of the work was done by Sai Sudharsan, who put in a brilliant dive to his left before Coetzee held onto the rebound. An 84-run opening stand ended with Bairstow walking back off Sai Kishore’s bowling, but not before setting the platform with 47 off just 22.

Rohit then took over. He brought up a 28-ball fifty with a sweep for four, and MI were 113/1 at the halfway stage. Mendis dropped another one to give Surya Kumar Yadav a reprieve this time, before Washington Sundar took a well-judged catch in the deep off Sai Kishore, and Yadav walked back for yet another useful contribution of 33(20).

On a night on which Rohit became just the second batter to hit the 7000-run mark and the first Indian to bring up 300 sixes in TATA IPL, he went into overdrive mode en route to 81(50).

Krishna ended Rohit’s stay, but a couple of crucial cameos from Tilak Varma (25 off 11), and skipper Hardik Pandya (22* off 9) - including three sixes in the last over - meant that MI scored 68 runs off the last five overs to end up with 228/5.

In the absence of Jos Buttler and a chase of 229, GT needed the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan to score big again. However, it was Trent Boult, the player with the most first-over wickets in TATA IPL history, who struck in the opening over once again, trapping Gill (1) in front.

A 21-run third over off Boult gave GT the much-needed impetus. Kusal Mendis started well in a 63-run stand with Sudharsan, but was hit-wicket for 20(10) in a bizarre dismissal with GT 67/2 early in the seventh over.

What followed was a partnership of immense quality between southpaws Sudharsan and Washington Sundar.

Sudharsan brought up his 7th 50+ score this season in the next over, and GT soon were 106/2 after 10 overs. Washington then took on Boult in an 18-run 13th over, and GT's equation came down to 81 needed off 42, with Sundar flying off to 47* off 22. Jasprit Bumrah then produced one of his special yorkers as Washington walked back for 48(24).

With 68 runs needed off five overs, came a decisive moment. Richard Gleeson's over began with two fours, before Sudharsan (80 off 49) missed a scoop and Gleeson's attempted yorker smashed into the stumps.

Amidst another key spell of 1/27 in 4 overs from Bumrah, Sherfane Rutherford and Rahul Tewatia brought the equation down to 36 off 12. But it proved to be too big a mountain to climb for GT as MI calmly defended those runs, winning comfortably by 20 runs.