IPL 2025 Eliminator: Sai Sudharsan's knock in vain as Mumbai Indians edge past Gujarat Titans in thriller, to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2

The Mumbai Indians triumphed over the Gujarat Titans by 20 runs, securing their spot in Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2025. Led by Hardik Pandya, the team had a rocky start to the season, but everything turned around during the middle phase when they went on an impressive unbeaten run, landing them in the top four. After a rollercoaster finish, they faced Gujarat in the Eliminator in Mullanpur, where the five-time champions showcased their skills and clinched the victory with flair.

Batting first, Rohit Sharma and Jonny Bairstow took control of the game, leaving Gujarat scrambling. Bairstow, stepping in for Ryan Rickelton, looked anything but a newcomer in his first IPL 2025 match, smashing 47 runs off just 22 balls. Once he was out, Rohit took charge, scoring 81 runs off 50 balls, which set the stage for the rest of the match.

Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya kept the momentum going as Mumbai racked up an impressive 228 runs—the second-highest total in IPL playoff history. Although Gujarat faced an uphill battle, with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan in fine form, they were still a threat.

However, Trent Boult struck early, dismissing Gill in the first over, which could have dampened Gujarat’s spirits. But Sudharsan had other ideas, blasting 80 runs off 49 balls before Richard Gleeson finally got him out. Remarkably, Sudharsan became the youngest player to score over 600 runs in a single season.

Washington Sundar also contributed with a solid 48 runs off 24 balls, but Mumbai made a stunning comeback. Once Hardik called on Bumrah, things became tough for Gujarat, and they couldn’t recover after Sudharsan’s departure.

Kudos to MI captain Hardik Pandya for his bold decision to bat first. In T20 cricket, teams often prefer to bowl first, but Pandya trusted his bowlers, and they delivered the win. Next up, Mumbai will face the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 and the winner of the match will play the IPL 2025 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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