Mullanpur (Punjab), May 31: Mumbai Indians (MI) veteran Rohit Sharma delivered a clutch performance in the Eliminator clash against Gujarat Titans (GT), steering his side to a 20-run win and into Qualifier 2. Yet, the seasoned opener expressed a tinge of disappointment at not converting more of his starts this season into half-centuries.
Rohit, who earned the Player of the Match award for his blistering 81 off 50 balls, was instrumental in MI’s massive total of 228/5 — a score that ultimately proved beyond GT’s reach. Despite this impact, the ‘Hitman’ remained reflective in his post-match comments.
“I have only four fifties. Would have loved to score more. But it was a good day for us as a team,” said Rohit. “I had to make the most of the luck. I am glad I could do that and get the team into a good position.”
Rohit was given two early reprieves, dropped on 3 and 12, and he made GT pay by anchoring MI’s innings with a mix of fluent strokeplay and calculated aggression. He also became the second Indian batter to cross 7,000 IPL runs, following Virat Kohli.
So far this season, Rohit has scored 410 runs in 14 matches at an average of 31.53 and a strike rate of 150.18, with four half-centuries — second only to Suryakumar Yadav’s 673 runs for MI in IPL 2025.
Acknowledging the impact of dew in the second innings, Rohit praised his team’s bowlers for holding their nerves in challenging conditions:
“To be honest, I’ve played those shots earlier in the tournament and found fielders. Today, I got lucky with the dropped catches. But even after that, you’ve got to carry on and execute.”
He also lauded opening partner Jonny Bairstow, who smashed 47 in just 22 balls, saying:
“We got the start and capitalised on it. Jonny looked like he belonged, even though it was his first game. He brings a lot of experience.”
MI’s strong batting display was rounded off with cameos from Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20), Tilak Varma (25 off 11), and skipper Hardik Pandya (22* off 9), propelling them to a daunting total.
In response, Gujarat Titans fought back through Sai Sudharsan’s 80 (49) and Washington Sundar’s 48 (24), but tight death overs from MI pacers, especially Bumrah and Boult, ensured GT fell short at 208/6.
GT skipper Shubman Gill lamented the three dropped catches, particularly of Rohit and Suryakumar, as pivotal to their loss.
With this win, MI progresses to Qualifier 2 where they will face Punjab Kings (PBKS) on June 1 in Ahmedabad for a spot in the IPL 2025 Final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, bow out of the tournament.
Key Stats:
- Rohit Sharma: 410 runs, Avg 31.53, SR 150.18, 4 fifties
- Top MI Batter: Suryakumar Yadav – 673 runs
- MI Total: 228/5 (Rohit 81, Bairstow 47, Hardik 22*)
- GT Total: 208/6 (Sudharsan 80, Sundar 48)
- Top MI Bowlers: Boult (2/56), Bumrah, Gleeson, Santner, Ashwani (1 each)
Next Fixture:
📍 Qualifier 2 – Mumbai Indians 🆚 Punjab Kings
📅 June 1, 2025
🏟️ Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Final: 🏆 Winner to meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3.