Ahmedabad, Mar 30: A game-changing spell from pacer Prasidh Krishna (2/18) complemented Sai Sudharsan’s sparkling half-century as Gujarat Titans secured a commanding 36-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Saturday.
Sudharsan showcased his growing stature with a composed 63 off 41 balls (4×4, 2×6), and his 78-run partnership with skipper Shubman Gill (38 27b; 4×4, 1×6) led Gujarat to 196 for eight after Mumbai opted to bowl.
In reply, Tilak Varma (39; 36b, 3×4, 1c6) and Suryakumar Yadav (48; 28b, 1×4, 4×6) stitched a promising 62-run stand off 42 balls for the third wicket, but all Mumbai could manage was 160 for six.
Prasidh’s late introduction was the changing point of the match.
Introduced in the 12th over, Prasidh, who bowled 14 dot balls, immediately made an impact, removing Tilak Varma (32) with a well-disguised slower ball that was mistimed straight to Rahul Tewatia in the deep.
MI then lost three more wickets, including that of Suryakumar and skipper Hardik Pandya (11) that virtually killed their chase.
This was the first win of the season for the 2022 champions GT, keeping their impeccable home record intact.
The five-time champions suffered back-to-back defeats following their reversal at Chennai and they now head home to face Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, MI’s chase did not get off to a bright start, losing two wickets in the Power Play. Rohit Sharma (8) and Ryan Rickelton (6) fell cheaply to Mohammed Siraj.
After hitting successive boundaries, Rohit was undone by a peach—a back-of-a-length delivery that seamed in sharply to rearrange his stumps.
Rickelton, struggling to find his rhythm, dragged Siraj (2/34) onto his stumps.
Suryakumar counterattacked, stepping across his stumps to whip Siraj over deep backward square leg for a six. He then disrupted Ishant Sharma’s rhythm with a flick over fine leg and launched R Sai Kishore for two massive sixes.
Tilak played a breezy knock, targeting Kagiso Rabada with three boundaries in succession.
With 89 runs needed off seven overs, Pandya joined Suryakumar in the middle. But Prasidh’s next over was a tight four-run effort, during which he delivered a fiery short ball that struck Suryakumar on the helmet while attempting a hook.
Suryakumar, on 45, was flat on his back, requiring immediate attention from the physio. Prasidh’s figures then read a remarkable 2-0-6-1.
In his next over, Prasidh struck gold, dismissing Suryakumar with a deceptive cross-seam delivery as MI’s hopes faded further.
With 79 required off the last five overs, pressure mounted, and MI crumbled further with Rabada consuming Pandya with a slower delivery.
Earlier, GT looked set for a 200-plus total, when Pandya, who returned to lead the side after a one-match suspension, checked the momentum post Power Play, finishing with an impressive 2/29.
Sudharsan’s dismissal in the 18th over, trapped lbw by Trent Boult’s searing yorker, triggered a collapse as GT lost three wickets in three balls across two overs.
From being 170/3 in 17 overs, they ended up 196/8 in 20 overs, losing five wickets the last three overs.
But Sudharsan started his innings with two gorgeous boundaries off Boult in the second over. He later took on Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, welcoming the spinner with a boundary before launching him for a straight six.
The left-hander brought up his eighth IPL fifty off 33 balls, highlighted by a superb 84-metre six over deep mid-wicket. But Pandya checked the smooth sailing of GT with an impressive set of variations.
But by then, they reached a competitive total on a black soil pitch. (PTI)
