Gujarat Titans (GT) emerged victorious in a rollercoaster Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, clinching a three-wicket win via the DLS method on the very last ball.
The nail-biting victory propelled GT to the top of the table, simultaneously snapping MI’s impressive six-match winning streak.
Opting to field first after winning the toss, GT made a single change, bringing in Arshad Khan for Washington Sundar, while MI fielded an unchanged side.
Mumbai Indians’ innings was a turbulent affair. They suffered early blows, losing Ryan Rickelton on the second ball and veteran Rohit Sharma shortly after. However, uncharacteristically sloppy fielding from Gujarat, who dropped three catches in the powerplay, threw MI a lifeline. Will Jacks (53) and the ever-dangerous Suryakumar Yadav (35) capitalised ruthlessly, forging a blistering 70-run partnership. At the halfway mark, MI were strongly positioned at 89/2, eyeing a substantial total.
The momentum, however, swung dramatically. GT’s spin wizards, Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore, applied the chokehold with exceptionally tight overs, leading to the quick dismissals of both set batsmen. This triggered a startling collapse for MI, who slumped from 97/2 to 113/6 as the middle and lower order failed to fire, with no other batsman reaching double figures. A spirited late cameo from Corbin Bosch (22) managed to drag Mumbai to a fighting total of 155/8 in their 20 overs. The Gujarat bowlers, all of whom found themselves amongst the wickets, staged a remarkable comeback in the second half of the innings, conceding just 66 runs while taking six wickets in the final 10 overs, a stark contrast to the 89/2 MI plundered in the first 10.
Chasing a seemingly modest target, Gujarat’s start mirrored Mumbai’s. The in-form Sai Sudharsan was dismissed in the second over – only the third time in 36 IPL innings he has fallen for a single-digit score. Mumbai’s bowlers exhibited excellent discipline, strangling GT’s scoring rate in the initial overs. GT crawled to 29/1 in the powerplay, third-lowest of IPL 2025, finding themselves behind the DLS par score.
The game’s complexion changed when Hardik Pandya came on to bowl the eighth over for MI. He proved expensive, conceding 18 runs through a combination of extras and boundaries, allowing GT to crucially move ahead on DLS. Skipper Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler (30) then steadied the chase with a crucial 70-run stand before Ashwani Kumar provided a breakthrough for MI by dismissing Buttler.
With MI inching ahead on DLS by the 12th over, drama ensued. A brief rain delay saw GT ahead on the DLS par score. Upon resumption, Jasprit Bumrah delivered a masterclass, snaring the vital wicket of Gill (43). During his knock, Gill became only the third captain under 26 to amass 500+ runs in an IPL season. Notably, this was the first match this season where Gill, Sudharsan, and Buttler all failed to reach a half-century. Trent Boult then sent the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford, GT’s Impact Player, who had earlier struck some lusty blows to push GT ahead on DLS, back to the pavilion, breathing new life into the contest for MI.
With GT needing 41 from 27 balls, the match was on a knife’s edge. Another rain interruption after a sensational 18th over from young Ashwani led to a revised target: GT needed 147 from 19 overs.
The equation boiled down to a pressure-cooker 15 runs required from the final six balls, effectively a super over. Deepak Chahar was entrusted with the ball for MI, who were further handicapped by a slow over-rate penalty, forcing them to defend with one less fielder outside the 30-yard circle.
Rahul Tewatia started the over with a boundary. Gerald Coetzee then struck a six before dramatically holing out on the penultimate delivery with scores level. With one run needed off the final ball, Arshad Khan scampered through for a single after Pandya missed a run-out opportunity, sparking wild celebrations in the Gujarat camp.
This was the seventh occasion MI have lost while defending a target on the final ball, the joint-most in IPL history. Shubman Gill was named Player of the Match for his fighting 43 and three crucial catches earlier in the field.
The Wankhede witnessed an electrifying contest, packed with twists and turns, that rightfully went down to the wire, cementing its place as one of the season’s most memorable clashes.
Scorecard:
Mumbai Indians: 155-8, Overs 20, Will Jacks 53, Sai Kishore 2/34
Gujarat Titans: 147-7, Overs 19, Shubman Gill 43, Jasprit Bumrah 2/19