IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Match No. 5 Highlights and Player of the Match: In the eagerly awaited Indian Premier League 2024 encounter in Ahmedabad, Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to field first, making his debut as Mumbai Indians captain. Gujarat Titans’ opening pair, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, made a fast start.
Subhman Gill contributed 31 runs from 22 balls, B Sai Sudarshan scored 45 runs from 39, and Azmatullah Umarzai’s brief appearance contributed 17 runs from 11 balls. Bumrah’s tight bowling was the highlight, finishing with figures of 4-0-14-3.
Rahul Tewatia’s quickfire 22 off 15 helped set GT’s score at 168/6 by the end of his innings. Umarzai shocked MI by initially dismissing Ishan Kishan for a duck and later dismissing Naman Dheer, who had made an aggressive start with 20 off 10 balls.
Rohit Sharma and Dewald Brevis made a brilliant partnership of 77 runs, which helped Mumbai chase the target easily during the middle overs. However, Sai Kishore managed to dismiss Rohit for 43 off 29 balls, signaling a change in pace.
As the match progressed, GT’s bowlers made the best of the conditions, increased the required run rate and put pressure on the Mumbai lineup, which faltered despite having power hitters like Tim David and Pandya.
Mohit Sharma’s spell of 4-0-32-2 and Spencer Johnson’s crucial 19th over, where he took two crucial wickets, underlined a remarkable turnaround by the Titans, as MI appeared to be in control of their chase.
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19 runs were needed in the last over, but Pandya’s early boundary gave hope, reducing the requirement to 9 runs in 4 balls. However, Yadav’s experience prevailed, ensuring a winning start to Gill’s captaincy tenure against his predecessor.
Mumbai Indians Captin Hardik Pandya: "We were confident in our ability to chase down the 42 runs, yet, unfortunately, today wasn't our day as we lost momentum. Returning here is always a pleasure, the stadium offers a vibrant atmosphere, and with the stands packed, the crowd certainly witnessed an exciting match. We still have 13 matches to go."
Gujrat Titans Captain Shubman Gill: "Absolutely, the team did exceptionally well to keep their composure despite the dew setting in. There was significant dew, but even then, Rashid and Sai bowled magnificently to keep us in contention. Mohit Sharma has been a phenomenal asset since joining us, continuing his stellar performance from last season.
Our strategy was all about ramping up the pressure on the opposition.The fans have been incredible, turning up in full force, day or night, to cheer us on. Ideally, a total of 170 would have been more comforting, yet we fell short by 10 runs. Such is the nature of cricket. There were moments they seemed to be getting ahead, but striking the ball wasn’t straightforward here."
Player of the Match, Sai Sudharsan:
Sai Sudharsan: "I feel it was slightly difficult in both the first and second innings. Because of the dew, they were able to play a few shots, but we pulled off a great game. I am just taking it as an extra opportunity to try and win a game for my team. After a few balls, I felt this is that kind of a wicket where you can go hard everywhere and wanted to build on the momentum. Too many great contributions in the second innings. As a batter, I found it tough when they took the pace off and our bowlers executed really well today"
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