New Delhi: Gujarat Titans endured a horrific day on the field, dropping three sitters to allow Mumbai Indians to get off to an emphatic start in the IPL 2025 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. However, after dropping three simple chances, GT fans finally found some respite with a brilliant relay effort.
It all started in the second over when Gerald Coetzee dropped a sitter at fine leg to give Rohit Sharma a lifeline. In the next over, Rohit got another reprieve as Kusal Mendis, keeping wickets in place of Jos Buttler, dropped a simple catch off Mohammed Siraj’s bowling.
While Rohit looked rusty in the beginning, his opening partner Jonny Bairstow, a replacement signing in place of Will Jacks, was timing the ball beautifully and hitting the gaps perfectly.
After getting two lifelines, Rohit slowly got in the groove and played some sensational shots, complementing Bairstow at the other end as MI raced to 79 for no loss in six overs.
But just when things were looking bad for GT, a moment of brilliance in the field brought some respite for the 2022 champions.
It took two players to take one catch as Sai Sudharsan and Coetzee combined to give GT a much-needed breakthrough in the eighth over.
Bairstow perished for 47, playing an inventive shot as his reverse sweep was brilliantly caught by the Sudharsan-Coetzee combo. While the catch will go against the name of the South African, it was the acrobatic effort of the Orange Cap holder Sudharsan that made the impossible possible.
Sudharsan dived across to his left to catch the high ball and plucked it one-handed, tipping it over the bar and straight into the hands of Coetzee at short third.
Relay catch… magnificent effort rewarded with good luck#GTvsMI pic.twitter.com/n10fugHYUh
— theviralmail (@theviralmail) May 30, 2025
Rohit sizzles with superb knock
After Bairstow’s departure, Rohit took charge and completed two milestones en route to a magnificent 50-ball 81. During the course of the innings, Rohit became only the second Indian batter after Virat Kohli to score 7000 runs in IPL, and the first Indian to hit 300 sixes in the cash-rich tournament.
Meanwhile, Mendis’ horror day behind the wickets continued as the Sri Lankan dropped another sitter, giving a lifeline to Suryakumar Yadav in the 12th over bowled by Coetzee.
Earlier, MI skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bat first in the Eliminator. The winner of this match will face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2 on Sunday, while the loser will exit the tournament.
MI picked Jonny Bairstow, Richard Gleeson and Raj Angad Bawa in the playing XI, while the Titans brought in Washington Sundar and Kusal Mendis.
IPL 2025: Gujarat Titans endured a horrendous day at the field, dropping some absolute sitters in the Eliminator vs Mumbai Indians. But amidst the period of sloppiness, came a moment of brilliance. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
