Gujarat Titans claimed their first win of IPL 2025 with a 36-run victory over Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Titans posted 196/8 in their 20 overs, and despite some resistance from Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, Mumbai faltered in the chase, finishing at 160/8.
Prasidh Krishna was the standout performer with the ball, stifling MI’s batting line-up with a brilliant spell, while Mumbai were left to rue their struggles with both bat and ball.
Titans make the most of a blistering start
Sent in to bat first, GT openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan started steadily, reaching 31/0 in four overs. The momentum swung in their favour in the next couple of overs as Mumbai’s bowlers struggled.
Hardik Pandya introduced Mujeeb Ur Rehman in the fifth over, but the Afghan spinner was taken for 15 runs. Deepak Chahar suffered worse in the following over, conceding 20 runs, with sloppy fielding adding to MI’s woes.
At the end of the powerplay, GT had soared to 66/0. Mumbai Indians, however, clawed their way back as Hardik Pandya and Mitchell Santner bowled two tight overs with no boundaries.
The increasing pressure saw Shubman Gill mistime a pull shot straight to deep square leg in the ninth over, departing for 38 off 27 balls.
Jos Buttler, promoted up the order, took 21 balls before he finally broke the shackles, smashing Santner for a six and four off successive deliveries. At 92/1 after 10 overs, GT looked well-placed for a massive score.
The second half of the innings saw Sai Sudharsan continue anchoring as he reached his fifty off 33 balls in the 15th over.
He found a reliable partner in Shahrukh Khan, but after launching Hardik Pandya for a six over deep square leg, Shahrukh fell for 9 off 6 balls, giving Hardik his second wicket of the night. The Titans were still in a strong position at 151/3 in 16 overs with Rahul Tewatia yet to bat.
Young Satyanarayana Raju bore the brunt of GT’s late hitting, conceding 19 runs in an over, including sixes from Sudharsan and Sherfane Rutherford.
However, Mumbai pulled things back immediately as Trent Boult delivered a superb 17th over, conceding just three runs and trapping Sudharsan leg before wicket off the last ball for 63 off 41 balls.
Drama unfolded in the penultimate over as Rahul Tewatia was run out at the non-striker’s end without facing a ball. Rutherford then holed out for 18 off 10, caught at long-off by Santner.
Kagiso Rabada’s only six in the 19th over helped GT reach 196/8, but they would have been disappointed not to breach the 200-mark after their strong start.
Mumbai’s chase falters despite Suryakumar Yadav’s knock
Needing 197 to win, MI’s chase got off to a rocky start. Rohit Sharma, looking to make amends after his duck against CSK, got off the mark with two flicked boundaries off Mohammed Siraj. But Siraj responded immediately, clean bowling Rohit for 8 with a brilliant delivery.
Tilak Varma came in at No.3 and attacked Kagiso Rabada in the next over, smashing 4, 4, and 6 off successive balls. But MI’s momentum was stalled as Siraj and Ishant Sharma bowled back-to-back tight overs, restricting them to 32/1 in four overs.
Siraj then struck again in the fifth over, sending Ryan Rickelton back for 6, as the batter inside-edged onto his stumps. Suryakumar Yadav arrived at the crease and got off the mark in style, flicking Siraj over deep backward square leg for a six.
Spin was introduced in the sixth over with Rashid Khan, who thought he had Tilak Varma trapped lbw immediately. But after reviewing, it was revealed that the ball had brushed Varma’s glove, saving him. At the end of the powerplay, MI were 48/2.
With a long chase ahead, MI needed a big partnership. Suryakumar and Tilak Varma responded by putting on 62 runs for the third wicket.
However, their stand was broken in the 12th over when Prasidh Krishna was introduced into the attack. He struck immediately, having Varma caught by Rahul Tewatia at deep midwicket for 39 off 36 balls.
Mumbai were still in the game at 99/3 in 12 overs, but things fell apart quickly. Jharkhand’s Robin Minz, promoted ahead of Hardik Pandya, edged Sai Kishore to short third man for just 3. Finally, Hardik arrived at the crease, but by then, the match was slipping away.
Prasidh Krishna’s big moment came when he dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for 48 off 28 balls. The in-form batter attempted to clear the ropes but found Shubman Gill at long-on. At 120/5 after 16 overs, Mumbai’s chase was effectively over.
A few late boundaries from Mitchell Santner and Naman Dhir in the final over were too little, too late. Santner was eventually trapped lbw on the last ball, but a review showed that the ball had pitched outside leg stump.
The last over summed up MI’s struggles – sixes came too late, and the required run rate was always out of reach.
Gujarat Titans restricted Mumbai Indians to 160/8, winning the match by 36 runs.
Gujarat Titans’ dominance in both powerplays proved decisive. Their strong start with the bat ensured a competitive total, and their disciplined bowling in the powerplay and middle overs left Mumbai constantly behind the required rate.
Prasidh Krishna’s game-changing spell of 2/21 in four overs, along with Rashid Khan’s economy, prevented MI’s middle order from accelerating.
The failure of MI’s top order, particularly Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton, meant that even Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma’s partnership wasn’t enough.
With this win, GT got their first points of the season, while Mumbai Indians slumped to their second consecutive defeat. Hardik Pandya’s return as MI captain hasn’t yet resulted in a turnaround, and the five-time champions will need to address their top-order issues quickly.
A convincing win for Gujarat Titans, built on a strong start with the bat and clinical bowling. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, need urgent fixes if they are to avoid another disappointing season.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (C), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Satyanarayana Raju
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna