AI Simulation, IPL 2025 Eliminator | Gill-Sudharsan stay unstoppable for GT to knock out MI in style

‌‌Pitch & Weather

Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bat first.

GT: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

MI: Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Charith Asalanka, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma    

Choosing to set a target, Mumbai Indians' openers Rohit Sharma and Jonny Bairstow walked out with brimming intent, the duo combining for five boundaries and three maximums in the first five overs to accumulate 52 runs. However, just when they were beginning to look invincible, Mohammed Siraj dispatched the Englishman to bring Suryakumar Yadav to the crease. The Indian T20 skipper was hellbent on clutching back his Orange Cap, which he did with a breathtaking array of strokemaking either side of his predecessor's dismissal for 36 off 28 deliveries. Tilak Varma was happy playing second fiddle as SKY raised his bat for a 30-ball half-century, and the 63-run stand had the foundation well set at 132/2 with five overs to go. However, one Rashid Khan over changed the complexion of the game as he got rid of the dangerous duo before some brilliant bowling at the death from Prasidh Krishna restricted the team to 178/6.

In response, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan navigated past a tricky opening over from Jasprit Bumrah to score frequent boundaries against the likes of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult. By the end of the powerplay, the score already read 55/0 with barely a risk taken or a chance offered. Mitchell Santner and Karn Sharma could not bring about the breakthrough either until the stand ticked to 95, when the Kiwi got the better of Sudharsan for a 35-ball 47. Kusal Mendis' stay was brief, but meaningful all the same as in his company Gill switched gears to race past 50, and the skipper only departed for 68 once Sherfane Rutherford had been allowed the time to settle in. Thereafter, it was 40 required off 28, and the Windies power-hitter struck two maximums in the penultimate over to comfortably seal the deal with four balls to spare.      

Shubman Gill continued to be the chief orchestrator of Gujarat Titans' greatest hits, the skipper leading from the front with a composed 45-ball 68 to anchor a pressure-filled chase and remain second in the Orange Cap running. His seven boundaries and two maximums took Gill past 700 runs for the second time in a season, a mark commemorated with yet another Man of the Match award.   

Scorecard