On a night that swung like a pendulum between momentum shifts and drizzle delays, the Gujarat Titans carved out a nervy three-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in a rain-curtailed IPL 2025 encounter at the Wankhede Stadium. The Titans, chasing a revised DLS target of 147 from 19 overs, reached the finish line off the very last ball, keeping their playoff chances high and sending ripples across the points table.
The Toss, the Decision, and the Early Jitters
Winning the toss, GT captain Shubman Gill had no hesitation putting Mumbai in to bat under overcast skies. It was a pragmatic decision, factoring in the forecast for showers and the potential DLS implications. Gujarat’s decision proved prophetic as early breakthroughs derailed Mumbai’s top order. Mohammed Siraj and Arshad Khan struck inside the powerplay, removing Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma respectively, leaving the hosts wobbling at 26/2.
Jacks and SKY Spark, but the Engine Sputters
In the middle overs, Will Jacks (53 off 35) and Suryakumar Yadav (35 off 24) stitched a lively 71-run stand, briefly injecting hope into the MI innings. Jacks was particularly fluent, cracking five fours and three sixes, while SKY played his characteristic, wristy strokes to keep the scoreboard ticking. GT also helped MI rebuild with three dropped catches during this phase. One of Surya and two of Jacks. However, once Rashid Khan broke the stand, triggering a middle-order slide, Mumbai lost five wickets for just 26 runs.
Hardik Pandya, under immense scrutiny against his former franchise, lasted only three balls before top edging a catch to Gill at slip. The late push came from Corbin Bosch’s 27 (22) and a last ball boundary from Chahar guiding MI to a modest 155/8, a total that seemed just about par, especially with rain looming.
Rain Breaks, Revised Targets, and a Tense Chase
The Gujarat chase began cautiously, with Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah cranking up the pressure. Sai Sudharsan fell early, and the Titans crawled to 29/1 after the powerplay. Gill and Buttler then built a steady but sluggish 72-run stand, with Gill anchoring the innings with 43 off 46 and Buttler contributing 30 off 27. Sherfane Rutherford briefly lit up the evening with a 15-ball 28, swinging momentum back to GT before another brief shower halted play.
The first rain came in after the 14th over which allowed the team to plan things better ahead. However, GT was well settled as they were eight runs ahead of the DLS score.
Final Flourish and a Last-Ball Finish
Once play resumed, Jasprit Bumrah delivered a game-turning spell, dismissing both Gill and Shahrukh Khan in quick succession. Ashwani Kumar, MI’s concussion sub, then trapped Rashid Khan LBW to tighten the screws further.
Gerald Coetzee muscled a four just before the second rain delay—at the end of the 18th over— but at that time it wasn’t enough as they were behind the DLS par. When play resumed, the target had been revised: Gujarat needed 15 from 6 balls.
Tewatia stepped up with a vital boundary and Coetzee struck a massive six off the 3rd delivery to bring the equation down in favour of GT, but he perished soon after and with one run needed off the last ball, Arshad Khan on strike, they scrambled through for a single after Hardik Pandya fumbled a golden run-out chance, sealing a thrilling victory for GT by 3 wickets.
Table Talk and Tactical Reflections
The win took Gujarat Titans to 16 points, keeping them at the top of the table. For the Mumbai Indians, it was a stinging loss at home, one that exposed the fragility in their middle order and the over-dependence on Bumrah and Boult with the ball. Hardik Pandya’s poor run with bat and ball continues, to mention he bowled an 11-ball over, which makes him join a list of bowlers in the longest over bowled in IPL history (balls)
Gill was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution, 43 runs and three catches in the outfield.
Postscript
This wasn’t the cleanest game of the season, rain, reviews, and rash shots all played their part, but it was undoubtedly one of the most dramatic. The Wankhede may have witnessed a classic that saw Gujarat steal Mumbai’s thunder with the precision of a pickpocket and the timing of a clockmaker. As the league enters its business end, this result may have just shifted the gears in the playoff race.
- Shubman Gill’s Match-Winning Contribution: Scored a crucial 43 (46) and took 3 catches, a composed innings that anchored the chase under pressure.
- Rain Disruptions and DLS Drama: Two rain breaks led to a DLS-adjusted target of 147 in 19 overs, adding tension and urgency to GT’s chase.
- Mumbai’s Middle-Order Collapse: From 97/2 to 113/6, MI’s batting fell apart quickly after strong starts by Jacks (53) and SKY (35), costing them a bigger total.
- Bumrah’s Death Overs Brilliance: Delivered a clutch 4-over spell for 19 runs with 2 wickets, keeping MI in the game till the final over.
With rain and DLS influencing outcomes, should the IPL revisit its rules around shortened matches?
