Gujarat Titans’ thumping 36-run win over Mumbai Indians was the story of the night at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Despite being played at the same venue as their previous outing, tonight’s pitch offered a different recipe with its different clay, a patchy, two-paced surface that demanded a more thoughtful approach rather than sheer power.
Put into bat first, the Titans began their innings with measured intent, with openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan steadily building a platform on a surface that was clearly less conducive to a high-scoring extravaganza.
The duo took a balanced approach understanding tonight’s pitch would be a little on the slower side compared to the one from the first game and worked on building a solid foundation, working the ball into gaps, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking.
At the end of the powerplay, GT managed to put together a respectable total of 66/0, with Sudharsan and Gill both contributing 32 runs each. Their strategic approach allowed them to conserve wickets setting up a platform for a more expansive middle overs assault.
However, as the match moved past the halfway stage, the dynamics shifted. The Titans lost two key wickets, skipper Shubman Gill, who had played a pivotal role in setting the tone, was caught by Naman Dhir off Hardik Pandya, departing for 38 and soon after Jos Buttler, who had been contributing briskly, was caught by Rickelton off Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 39, applying the breaks when the Titans’ were scoring freely.
A few useful hits from the lower middle order meant GT were able to finish at a formidable 196 for 8 in their 20 overs.
In return, Rohit Sharma went from the word go scoring two fours leaving MI fans on their feet but their celebration was short-lived as Mohammed Siraj claimed his wicket. Siraj quickly struck once in the powerplay giving the Titans the early upper hand.
Tilak Varma along with Surya Kumar Yadav took charge, attempting to rebuild the innings but Prasidh Krishna turned the tide dismissing Tilak for 39 off 36 balls and soon thereafter also dismissed Surya Kumar Yadav.
As wickets tumbled, MI’s innings started to resemble a sunken ship. With key partnerships disintegrating and the required run rate creeping up, MI found it hard to get back on track managing just 160/6 in their 20 overs. This loss means Mumbai has faced its second defeat in a row in the ongoing season while Gujarat came back from a loss to move up third in the points table. (IPLT20)
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