How did Rohit lead MI to victory over GT in IPL 2025?

New Chandigarh, May 31 (NationPress) Rohit Sharma scored 81 runs, while bowlers Trent Boult (2-56) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-27) played crucial roles as the Mumbai Indians secured a place in Qualifier 2 with a 20-run victory against the Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday.

In their pursuit of 229 runs, the Gujarat Titans managed 208/6 in 20 overs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

With Jos Buttler absent from the lineup, Shubman Gill (1) needed to step up but fell victim to Trent Boult's opening over. As the chase began, Boult trapped Gill plumb in front, confirmed after a failed review by GT, setting a positive tone for MI.

Following a fiery start from Boult and Bumrah, Sudharsan and Kusal Mendis (20) began to apply pressure on the MI bowlers.

Sudharsan launched Boult for a six, and Mendis, stepping in for Buttler, hit Boult for back-to-back maximums. The left-handed opener displayed an impressive range of shots, finding gaps in the Mumbai attack. Hardik Pandya bowled in the power-play but was hit for three boundaries.

Mendis faced a close call on the final ball of the power-play during a mix-up, but Raj Bawa missed the stumps as GT reached 66/1 with fielding restrictions lifted. However, Mendis' challenging night continued as he dropped two catches and later got bowled while attempting to sweep Mitchell Santner.

Sudharsan notched his sixth half-century of the season in just 28 balls and crossed the 700-run mark. Despite losing wickets, Washington Sundar (48) contributed significantly. Sundar accelerated with a four and a six off Pandya, followed by consecutive sixes in a 18-run over from Boult.

With GT nearing 150 in the 13th over, Hardik summoned his best bowler to break the partnership, and Bumrah delivered with a brilliant yorker that sent Sundar back to the pavilion.

Sherfane Rutherford (24) started aggressively with three boundaries before Gleeson dismissed Sudharsan, who was bowled while attempting a scoop.

Ashwani Kumar and Bumrah limited the run flow, with only nine runs scored in the following overs, while Rahul Tewatia (16) managed a towering six. As the pressure mounted, with 36 runs needed off 12 balls, Boult delivered a ball in the slot, but Rutherford's attempt led to a catch at deep mid-wicket.

With 30 runs needed off seven balls, a massive six from Shahrukh Khan (13) briefly reignited hopes. Gleeson bowled the final overs but struggled, leading to Ashwani Kumar wrapping things up and dismissing Shahrukh to seal MI's 20-run win.

Having opted to bat first, Rohit and Jonny Bairstow (47) set up a formidable total of 228/5.

Rohit's innings, showcasing his power and boundary-hitting ability, included nine fours and four sixes. Yet, it wasn't without flaws, as he was dropped twice, highlighting a tough day for the 2022 winners in the field.

Rohit's first lifeline came when he was on three runs, with Gerald Coetzee fumbling a catch. Rohit quickly capitalized, hitting Mohammed Siraj for consecutive boundaries, though a close edge went to Kusal Mendis, who couldn't hold on.

Bairstow, debuting for MI, aggressively attacked, scoring 26 runs off a single over from Prasidh Krishna, leading MI to their highest power-play total in IPL play-offs: 79/0 in six overs.

Despite earlier drops, Sai Sudharsan made a stunning catch to deny Bairstow his fifty. Rohit also reached his fourth half-century of the season in only 28 balls.

MI's consistent performer, Suryakumar Yadav (33), also displayed aggression, hitting Coetzee for two sixes. Once again, a catch was missed, this time by Mendis, which could have sent Yadav back.

Rohit and Tilak Varma (25) hit sixes off Coetzee before Rohit's innings ended on a top edge off a slower delivery from Prasidh Krishna.

Despite conceding 53 runs in his four overs, Prasidh rebounded, claiming Naman Dhir's (9) wicket in the penultimate over as MI exceeded the 200-run threshold.

In the final over, Hardik Pandya (22) smashed Coetzee for three maximums, propelling MI to 228/5.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 228/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 81, Jonny Bairstow 47, Suryakumar Yadav 33; Sai Kishore 2-42, Prasidh Krishna 2-53) beat Gujarat Titans 208/6 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 80, Washington Sundar 48; Trent Boult 2-56, Jasprit Bumrah 1-27) by 20 runs.