The Mumbai Indians bowlers had a tough time on Saturday but managed to keep the Gujarat Titans under 200 runs in their IPL 2025 match in Ahmedabad. Captain Hardik Pandya was on fire, but the MI fielders made some costly errors. One major mistake was an overthrow that allowed five runs to slip by. This happened when Sai Sudharsan hit a shot off Deepak Chahar, and Naman Dhir’s throw missed the stumps during a run-out attempt, leading to the ball rolling to the boundary with no backup.
Sunil Gavaskar, who was commentating for Star Sports, was not happy about it. He said, “That’s absolutely terrible cricket. No wonder Deepak Chahar is not happy, it (the five runs) goes against his name!”
Despite the slip-ups, Sudharsan stood out with a solid 63 runs, but the Mumbai Indians fought back well at the end and limited the Titans to 196/8. Sudharsan showed great skill, scoring his 63 off just 41 balls with four fours and two sixes. Just when it looked like GT would cross 200 runs, Pandya turned things around after the Power Play, finishing with great figures of 2/29 and even running out Rahul Tewatia.
Sudharsan’s wicket in the 18th over, where he was lbw to a yorker from Trent Boult, sparked a quick slide in GT’s innings. They lost three wickets in just two overs, including big hitter Sherfane Rutherford.
On a pitch that appeared to suit scores around 190, Sudharsan kicked off his innings with some beautiful boundaries off Boult early on and took on spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman later, hitting a six straight down the ground. He played smartly, adjusting to wickets falling around him, and kept the run rate steady. His fifty came off 33 balls with a fantastic 84-metre six.
Shubman Gill also looked good, scoring 38 off 27 balls. The opening pair put together a solid 78-run partnership, using the new ball to their advantage.
When the spinners came on, Sudharsan targeted Mujeeb, and Gill punished him too, helping GT build a strong position. But Hardik’s clever bowling made it harder for GT to rack up runs, eventually leading to Gill’s dismissal.
Jos Buttler, batting at number three, tried to shift the momentum but was dismissed by Mujeeb unexpectedly. Shah Rukh Khan added some excitement with a six off Pandya, but the MI bowlers managed to keep the pressure up with their tactics, even without Jasprit Bumrah.
