It was a night that saw Mumbai Indians flex their championship mettle once again. In a record-breaking IPL Eliminator in Mullanpur — where both teams combined for a staggering 436 runs, the highest ever in playoff history — MI held their nerve to beat Gujarat Titans by 20 runs and march into Qualifier 2. While the scoreboard lit up with sixes and boundaries, it was Mumbai’s ability to win the clutch moments that stood out. Skipper Hardik Pandya, facing his former franchise in a high-pressure knockout, was full of praise for his team’s temperament and timing. “At one point of time the game was even-stevens,” Pandya said after the win. “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.” He singled out Jonny Bairstow’s explosive debut knock and Rohit Sharma’s composed 81 as pivotal. “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 batted — he took his time and once he got into rhythm, it was beautiful.” Pandya also praised his bowling unit, particularly Richard Gleeson’s final over under injury duress and Jasprit Bumrah’s clinical spell. “The way Gleeson bowled. Jassi being Jassi. Ashwani… everyone chipped in well and we held our nerves. I would’ve liked couple more (big hits). The little margins help. We wanted to push in batting and I think we were able to do that.” Asked when he decides to bowl Bumrah, Pandya smiled: “It’s very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him. When you have that it’s a luxury. It’s like Mumbai housing prices – he’s that expensive.” The final overs were tense, but Pandya had it planned. “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.” With this victory, Mumbai Indians set up a Qualifier 2 clash against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on June 1. The winner will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 Final.
