MUMBAI: The Gujarat Titans capitalized on strong performances in both batting and bowling to secure a 36-run victory over the Mumbai Indians in a one-sided IPL match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

After being invited to bat first, GT's openers Shubman Gill (38 off 27 balls) and Sai Sudarshan (63 off 41 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes) formed a solid partnership of 78 runs in just 8.3 overs, setting the stage for their total of 196 runs. Pacer Mohammed Siraj made an impressive impact in his opening over by dismissing MI's star player Rohit Sharma. After conceding two boundaries, Siraj delivered a stunning ball that moved in after pitching, breaking through Rohit’s defense to hit the middle stump. Siraj continued to shine, sending left-handed opener Ryan Rickelton’s off-stump flying in the fifth over, thanks to an inside edge.

With these early setbacks, MI struggled during the powerplay, finishing at 48/2, while GT had a strong start at 66/0 in six overs. GT ended their innings at 196/8, while MI managed to score only 160/6.

Suryakumar Yadav showed glimpses of his former self with a score of 48 (28 balls, 1 four, 4 sixes). He, along with Tilak Varma, attempted to revive MI's innings with a 62-run partnership for the third wicket, but it fell short. By the time captain Hardik Pandya came to bat at No. 6, MI was left needing 89 runs off just 42 balls.

GT bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Sai Kishore kept the pressure on, not giving the opposition any chances. Prasidh was particularly impressive, taking the crucial wicket of Suryakumar Yadav when the score was 120, finishing with figures of 4-0-18-2. Despite bowling well, MI's captain had a tough time with the bat, managing only 11 runs off 17 balls on a sluggish pitch.

With this victory, GT kicked off their IPL 2025 campaign, while MI faced their second consecutive loss after falling to CSK.

The match began with an exciting atmosphere as MI opened with their seasoned swing bowlers, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar. Captain Gill and his opening partner Sai Sudharsan rose to the occasion, tackling the challenge posed by the new-ball bowlers. Realizing that staying in the crease against such disciplined bowlers wouldn’t work, they took the initiative by stepping up to the ball and playing aggressive shots down the ground. By the end of the Powerplay, both had scored 32 not out off 18 balls, setting a solid foundation for GT's innings.

The two young batters must have felt a great sense of achievement from their hard-earned runs. Once the field restrictions lifted, batting became tougher as Pandya spearheaded MI’s comeback. After sitting out the first game due to a suspension, he returned as MI’s standout bowler, taking two crucial wickets. He made a significant impact by having Gill caught at deep square-leg while attempting a pull shot, marking the fourth time he dismissed Gill in just 18 balls during the IPL.

However, MI's efforts to strengthen their position were thwarted by Jos Buttler, who scored 39 off 24 balls. Buttler was dismissed in the 14th over, but as the slog overs began, GT still had wickets in hand.

By the end of the 17th over, they were at 170/3. Fortunately for MI, they managed to save 10-15 runs in the final overs. Although Boult and Chahar aren’t typically known for bowling in the slog overs, they stepped up on Saturday. Boult only gave away nine runs in the 18th over and took out Sai Sudharshan, finishing with figures of 4-0-34-1. In the next over, Chahar dismissed the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford, who was caught at long-on, allowing just seven runs and taking two wickets (including one run-out). Pandya entrusted the last over to the inexperienced Satyanarayana Raju, who kept his composure and only allowed 10 runs in a two-wicket over (one run-out), preventing GT from finishing strong.

Read Also: Hardik Pandya's Disappointing 17-Ball Knock Stuns Fans as MI Faces Another Defeat

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