GT vs MI: Sudharsan, Prasidh shine as Gujarat win

Gujarat Titans (GT) opened their account in IPL 2025 while Mumbai Indians (MI) slumped to their second successive defeat, in Ahmedabad on Saturday night (March 29).

At Narendra Modi Stadium, GT defeated MI by 36 runs. Mumbai failed in the run chase of 197 as they were kept to 160/6 in 20 overs. Paceman Prasidh Krishna (2/18) produced a game-changing spell.

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Mumbai had lost their opening game to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 while Gujarat were beaten by Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 25.

Suryakumar top-scores for MI

In reply to GT's 196/8, Tilak Varma (39; 36b, 3x4, 1c6) and Suryakumar Yadav (48; 28b, 1x4, 4x6) stitched a promising 62-run stand off 42 balls for the third wicket, but all Mumbai could manage was 160 for six.

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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.

Siraj gets Rohit

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.

Sudharsan shines with 63

Earlier, Sai Sudharsan showcased his growing stature with a composed 63, but MI fought back brilliantly in the backend to limit Gujarat Titans to a par 196/8.

The Tamil Nadu southpaw played with supple wrists and exquisite placement in his 41-ball 63 (4x4, 2x6) after MI sent GT to bat.

Just as GT looked set for a 200-plus total, Pandya checked the momentum post Power Play, finishing with an impressive 2/29, his impact extending beyond the wickets as he also ran out Rahul Tewatia (9).

Sai’s dismissal in the 18th over, trapped lbw by Trent Boult’s searing yorker, triggered a mini-collapse as GT lost three wickets in three balls across two overs.

Gill scores 38

The big-hitting Sherfane Rutherford (18; 11b, 2x6) fell in the penultimate over, and MI ensured the total remained within reach.

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 drag-down boundary before launching him for a six straight over the bowler’s head.

Adjusting smartly to wickets falling at the other end, Sudharsan curbed his boundary shots but kept the run rate steady at nine per over.

He brought up his eighth IPL fifty off 33 balls, highlighted by a superb 84-metre six over deep mid-wicket.

Skipper Shubman Gill (38 off 27b; 4x4, 1x6) also looked fluent, playing mostly in front of the wicket.

The openers in a 78-run alliance capitalised on the new ball, with spin introduced in the fifth over.

MI’s fielding rusty

Sudharsan stepped up against Mujeeb, while Gill punished the Afghan off-spinner for straying on the leg side, smashing him through fine leg.

The over yielded 15 runs, and GT surged to 46/0 after five overs. The last power play over was even more punishing as Gill stepped out to Deepak Chahar to smash him for a six and ended with a short-arm jab for four, helping GT race to 66/0.

But Hardik's clever variations built pressure, culminating in Gill’s dismissal, caught at deep backward square leg while attempting a pull shot as Mumbai tightened the screws drying up the boundaries for 13 balls.

Jos Buttler, promoted to No. 3, tried to break the shackles with a counterattack. He targeted Santner with a six and a cheeky lap past the keeper.

Buttler’s quickfire 39 from 24 balls (5x4, 1x6) in a 51-run stand briefly lifted GT, but Mujeeb removed him against the run of play - his carrom ball inducing an edge.

Shah Rukh Khan briefly provided fireworks, smashing Pandya for a six over deep square leg.

But Pandya struck back, setting him up with a slower short delivery and Tilak took a straightforward catch at a rather unconventional deep extra cover.

MI’s fielding was rusty with overthrows and missed run-outs, but Pandya’s tactical brilliance, despite Jasprit Bumrah’s continued absence, kept GT in check.

(With agency inputs)