Last-ball thriller. Rain stoppages. Fours, sixes and a wicket in the final over, alongside a collapse. The Gujarat Titans-Mumbai Indians game had all that that you expect from Indian Premier League – action, drama and entertainment. It was T20 cricket at its very best. Amid the festive atmosphere, the two skippers – Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill – would have completely different emotions.
For the Gill-led side, this victory should boost their confidence multi-fold. They took one step closer to finishing in the top two positions in the league table. This victory, in front of a sea of blue at the Wankhede, and against a side that was in red-hot form, will also give them belief that they can win games from any situation.
Just consider this: GT lost three wickets for just 13 runs to slip from 113 for 3 to 126 for 6. When the heavens again opened up, there would have been nerves jangling in the GT camp as they were five runs behind the par score – based on the DLS Method. Thankfully for GT, the rain relented and the equation came down to 15 off one over. Gerald Goetzee and Rahul Tewatia then played a range of shots to more or less seal the deal.
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Amid rain and drama, GT pip MI to move to the top of the table in #IPL2025. MI make a valiant effort with the ball, but pay for not enough runs on the board.@snehasis_95 writes #MIvGT https://t.co/fcDQ8VXdTq
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) May 6, 2025
There was also a school of thought that GT depended too much on the top-order troika of Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. However, in the game against MI, Sherfane Rurtherford made a vital contribution of 28 off just 15 deliveries, while the lower-order batters chipped in with runs. Although question marks remain over GT’s middle order, the think-tank would believe that they have ticked off another box.
This is what Coetzee had to say about the team atmosphere to the host broadcaster: “The environment (in the team) is very good, very relaxed, it looks intense on the ground, but the planning is good and the team environment is very good.”
So, where does this loss leave MI? The Mumbai franchise are still in a good position to secure a berth in the last-four. With two matches to go, they don’t just have 14 points, but their net run-rate of +1.156 is currently the best in the league. But the franchise would be hoping to progress to the Qualifier 1 stage, instead of having to chart a route through the Eliminator phase. In that context, the GT-MI game gained significance. And it was GT’s players who ended up on the winning side in a cliffhanger.