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2 days ago
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MI skipper Hardik Pandya with Jasprit Bumrah. (Sportzpics for IPL)
Mumbai Indians brushed aside Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League 2025 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh as the five-time champion moves ahead to play Punjab Kings in the second Qualifier to vie for a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
In a humdinger clash on Friday, the match was open for both teams until MI’s biggest weapon in the arsenal, Jasprit Bumrah, showed up to skew the game in Mumbai’s way. Bumrah broke the all-important and dangerous-looking stand between Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan. He cleaned up Sundar with a fiery yorker, taking him down along the way.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya was all praise for their biggest match-winner. On being asked when to bowl Bumrah, he said, “It’s very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him (Bumrah). When you have that it’s a luxury.”
“It’s like Mumbai housing prices – he’s that expensive. I was just watching the scoreboard and I thought if we can keep extra runs at the end, I had the bowlers to bowl it. It was important that Jassi comes and bowls that over so that the margin becomes longer (the 18th over). Very important to recover well. Looking forward to the next game,” Bumrah explained.
Mumbai, after winning the toss, put 228 runs on the board courtesy of a strong start by a new opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Jonny Bairstow. Pandya lauded the opening duo and said, “The way Jonny batted and started.. for him to make his debut for us, it’s a special franchise, coming in and playing the way he played. The way Ro (Rohit) batted. He took his time and once he got into rhythm, it was beautiful.”
Chasing 229, GT got off to a bad start after skipper Shubman Gill departed for just one. But Sai Sudharsan, the orange cap holder, played a sublime inning, stitching valuable runs with Kusal Mendis and Sundar to keep GT in the hunt.
“At one point of time the game was even-stevens. I thought the wicket got better in the second innings. It started to come on well, they got into rhythm and we realised we need to hold our nerves and back our boys,” said Hardik.
English (US) ·