TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: A day after a one-sided affair in Qualifier 1, the Eliminator between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians (MI) proved to be exactly what the doctor ordered at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur. It went down to the wire as MI defeated GT by 20 runs. MI will now take on Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat.Rohit rides his luckRohit Sharma (81 off 50 balls; 9×4, 4×6) made the most of two reprieves offered by GT fielders as the five-time champions delivered a strong statement in the must-win match. After winning the toss, MI posted a formidable 228 for 5.Rohit was dropped twice—first by Gerald Coetzee and then by Kusal Mendis—and he made GT pay for those missed chances. In the second over, Prasidh Krishna banged one in short, and Rohit miscued a pull high into the air. Coetzee had enough time, kept his eyes on the ball, but shelled the skier. Rohit was on 4 at the time, looking to break free with a swivel pull.In the next over, Rohit dispatched two delightful boundaries off Mohammed Siraj. Siraj could’ve had the last laugh, but Mendis fumbled a thick edge behind the stumps—failing to grab it in two attempts.The fourth over completely turned the tide in MI’s favour, as Jonny Bairstow hammered 26 runs off Prasidh Krishna’s second over—featuring three sixes, including a monster hit into the second tier at Mullanpur.Making his first appearance of the season, Bairstow came out firing on all cylinders. He and Rohit forged a rollicking 84-run opening partnership, with 79 of those runs coming in the powerplay. Bairstow blazed his way to a 22-ball 47 before falling to Sai Kishore.The powerplay onslaught set the tone, and the rest of the MI batting unit kept the momentum going. Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20 balls; 1×4, 3×6) and Tilak Varma (25 off 11; 3×6) chipped in with impactful cameos. Captain Hardik Pandya (22* off 9; 3×6) provided the finishing touches, smashing Coetzee for 22 runs in the final over.Prasidh Krishna (2/53) and Sai Kishore (2/42) took two wickets each, but most of GT’s bowlers proved expensive. However, Team India management and Test captain Shubman Gill may be concerned after Mohammed Siraj, who dismissed Tilak Varma in the 18th over, appeared to pull his hamstring later in the same over.Sai sizzles againSai Sudharsan continues to redefine orthodoxy in T20 cricket. His classical technique offers a refreshing counter to the notion that T20 cricket is eroding traditional skills. In this IPL season, Sudharsan has shown that the two formats—Test and T20—can indeed coexist. While broadcasters may try to strip away the “cricket” from T20, players like Sudharsan keep putting it right back in.On Friday, the 23-year-old produced yet another masterclass. He scored a classy 80 off 49 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and a six. Despite his aggressive approach, Sudharsan rarely loses shape, showcasing a full range of proper cricketing shots.GT’s chase began on a poor note, with Trent Boult removing skipper Shubman Gill for just 1. But Sudharsan continued in red-hot form, hitting a six off Boult and finding support in Kusal Mendis, who launched two sixes in the same over. The duo kept the momentum going, especially as Sudharsan struck two boundaries off Richard Gleeson’s first over.
Hardik Pandya brought himself on but was welcomed with two boundaries from Sudharsan and one from Mendis, who narrowly escaped a run-out at the end of the powerplay. However, Mendis was soon out in bizarre fashion—hit wicket after stepping on the stumps and falling flat on his back.Sudharsan found another able partner in Washington Sundar (48 off 24), and together they stitched an 84-run stand off just 46 balls. At that point, GT looked well on course to make Qualifier 2. But Jasprit Bumrah, the ultimate T20 cheat code, yorked Sundar to break the stand.Shortly after, Gleeson dismissed Sudharsan, effectively ending GT’s hopes. Lower-order efforts from Sherfane Rutherford (24), Rahul Tewatia (16), and Shahrukh Khan (16) weren’t enough, as MI held their nerves and marched on to the next round.
