Mullanpur (Punjab), May 31: Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill pointed to three crucial dropped catches that turned the tide against his side in their 20-run defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 Eliminator, effectively ending their campaign in the 18th edition of the tournament.
MI posted a massive 228/5, riding on a classy 81 from Rohit Sharma and powerful finishing from Hardik Pandya. But Gill lamented that the match could have gone differently had GT held onto key chances in the field.
“We were right in it. The last three-four overs didn’t go our way, but it was still a good game. Definitely not easy when we drop three sitters,” said Gill post-match. “210 would’ve been a par score on this pitch, and even in the last over we were talking — if we had taken one or two fewer sixes, it would have made a huge difference.”
The Titans missed three golden opportunities in the field — Rohit Sharma was dropped twice in the powerplay, once by Gerald Coetzee on 3 and then by Kusal Mendis on 12. Mendis dropped another catch in the 12th over, giving Suryakumar Yadav a reprieve. These missed chances proved costly, with Rohit going on to score 81 (50) and setting the platform for MI’s big total.
Despite the dewy conditions favouring the chasing side, GT faltered early in their pursuit as skipper Shubman Gill was dismissed for just 1 by Trent Boult in the opening over. The innings saw a glimmer of hope in a fighting 84-run stand between Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, keeping GT in contention until Sudharsan’s dismissal in the 16th over.
Sudharsan scored a fluent 80 off 49 balls, capping off a brilliant season with 759 runs from 15 matches. Gill praised the youngster’s performance and noted the potential within the squad despite a disappointing end to their campaign.
“Just play the game you want to play — that was the message for Sai and Washington. The dew made it a little easier for us to bat. Definitely a lot of positives for us this season. Credit to all the players, especially Sai — he was terrific,” said Gill.
GT, who dominated the early phase of the tournament before the mid-season break, struggled for consistency upon resumption and bowed out after three losses in their last four matches.
MI, meanwhile, move on to face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2 at Ahmedabad on June 1, aiming for a shot at the IPL 2025 title against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).