In an exciting Indian Premier League match in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans emerged victorious over Mumbai Indians with a 36-run win. Sai Sudharsan, an opening batter for Gujarat, played a significant role by scoring a smashing 63-run innings, which enabled Gujarat to post an impressive total of 196-8. This performance marked Sudharsan’s second consecutive top-score, as he recently scored 74 against Punjab Kings.
Mumbai Indians could only muster 160-6 in reply, with their innings being curtailed by Gujarat’s pace attack. Mohammad Siraj, Gujarat’s fast bowler, was instrumental in setting the tone early on by dismissing openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton during the powerplay. Prasidh Krishna stood out by taking key wickets at crucial moments, curbing Mumbai’s revival. It was Krishna who delivered the final blow by dismissing Suryakumar Yadav, who had been well on his way to a half-century with 48 runs, and Tilak Varma, who contributed 39 runs.
This victory marked Gujarat’s first points in the tournament following their narrow 11-run defeat against Punjab in their opening match. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians faced their second consecutive defeat, having previously lost to Chennai Kings by four wickets.
The Gujarat bowlers made the conditions too challenging for Mumbai’s batsmen, starting with Siraj, who quickly found his rhythm, dismissing Sharma by clipping the bails and then uprooting Rickelton’s stumps. Yadav and Varma tried to stabilize the innings with a 62-run partnership. However, it was when Krishna struck with his slower deliveries, catching Varma’s mistimed slog at long-on and later dismissing Yadav, that Mumbai’s chase truly faltered.
Meanwhile, for Gujarat, Sudharsan anchored the innings after forming a robust partnership with captain Shubman Gill, who added a valuable 38 runs. The duo ensured Gujarat got off to an excellent start, reaching 66-0 during the powerplay. The innings saw a brief setback with a mini-collapse at 179 runs. Trent Boult triggered this collapse with his precision yorker that trapped Sudharsan lbw, followed by a direct hit from Hardik Pandya, run-outing Rahul Tewatia without giving him an opportunity to face a ball. Sherfane Rutherford soon followed, being caught by Mitchell Santner.
Despite the hiccups, Gujarat’s lower-order contributions from Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, each hitting a six, ensured a challenging target for Mumbai. The combined team effort paved the way for Gujarat to secure a much-needed win.