Gujarat Titans beat Mumbai Indians by a slender margin of six runs in a memorable win on the grand stage of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rohit Sharma’s valiant knock of 43 runs, coupled with Dewald Brevis impressive 46, propelled Mumbai to Gujarat’s target of 169. However, Gujarat’s resilient bowling attack, led by Mohit Sharma and Spencer Johnson, staged a remarkable comeback to restrict Mumbai to 162 on 9/11.
The decision to replace Rohit as captain with Pandya sparked outrage among the millions of Mumbai fans who witnessed Pandya’s IPL debut under Rohit and later saw him lead Gujarat to victory in the 2022 season at the same venue.
Amid a roaring crowd of nearly 90,000 in the colossal stadium, it was Gujarat’s new captain, Shubman Gill, who emerged victorious to thwart Pandya’s much-anticipated homecoming.
Reflecting on the match, Pandya expressed disappointment at the loss of pace but acknowledged the vibrant atmosphere of the stadium. Despite his efforts to revive Mumbai’s chase with aggressive hitting, Pandya’s dismissal in the final sealed their fate.
Star performances from key players like Sai Sudarshan and David Miller contributed to Gujarat’s victory, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the Mumbai bowling attack with finesse. However, this was not enough to thwart Gujarat’s determined chase.
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In another enthralling encounter earlier in the day, Sanju Samson showcased his batting prowess to lead Rajasthan Royals to an impressive 20-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur. Samson’s unbeaten 82 set the stage for Rajasthan’s imposing total of 193-4 while Trent Boult’s early breakthroughs rattled the Lucknow batting line-up.
Despite a spirited effort from Lucknow skipper KL Rahul and a resilient innings from Nicholas Pooran, Rajasthan’s bowling attack, led by Sandeep Sharma, proved too strong to overcome.
Rajasthan’s innings faced a momentary interruption when the spidercam cable snapped, bringing proceedings to a brief halt, but it failed to dampen the spirit of the game as Rajasthan emerged victorious in the end.
