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In a high-scoring Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium that had all the ingredients of an IPL classic, Mumbai Indians just about held its composure and eked out a 20-run win over Gujarat Titans on Friday. The tense victory helped the five-time champion set up a clash with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 on Sunday. GT has been knocked out.
Powered by Rohit Sharma’s 50-ball 81, Mumbai Indians amassed 228 for five after opting to bat on a strip devoid of demons. In response, the Titans fought gamely thanks to excellent contributions from B. Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar in particular, but it didn’t suffice. They finished on 208 for six.
GT’s daunting chase was off to a dreadful start with Shubman Gill falling to Trent Boult’s deadly inswinger. It put the onus on Sai Sudharsan to summon his whole gamut of shots and bat deep. The southpaw did his best in the circumstances, conjuring up a sublime 49-ball 80 that illustrated why he is cut out for greater honours. Seldom did he overhit, relying instead on his exquisite timing to pierce gaps and hit fours at frequent intervals.
At the other end, Washington was just as dazzling on his way to 48. Cuts, drives and pulls featured in his knock as the left-hand batter took Boult apart in an 18-run 13th over. The two Tamil Nadu boys forged a partnership of 84 in just 44 balls. It needed a peach of a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah to send Washington back to the dugout.
But at no stage did Titans retreat. Even after Sudharsan was castled by Richard Gleeson, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia and M. Shahrukh Khan unleashed some big hits. But Bumrah’s four overs costing a thrifty 27 runs perhaps proved to be the difference.
Earlier, Rohit, who was fortunate to be dropped on 3 and 12, put together an opening stand of 84 with Jonny Bairstow.
While the Englishman sparked the onslaught, Rohit came into his own once spin was introduced. He took 14 runs off left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore’s opening over with a series of sweeps that sped to the boundary. He employed the shot to great effect against Rashid Khan too. That Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya hit three sixes each also came in handy at the end.
