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Following the completion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT), former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble shared his thoughts on the Shubman Gill-led side's performance and the thrilling final over.
In a rain-interrupted match, the Titans edged past the Hardik Pandya-led side by three wickets via the DLS method in the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After the win, GT is at the top with eight wins, three losses, and 16 points, while MI sits at fourth with seven wins and five losses, giving them 14 points. Their six-match win streak is finally broken. Speaking on Gujarat's victory at the Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, the former leg-spinner said, "Last over sealed the deal. As a bowler in that situation, your primary thought is not to concede a boundary. With the dew and low bounce, it became even easier for GT. When you have two batters who can clear the ropes and a mindset like Coetzee's -- he said post-match, 'see ball, hit ball' -- it's tough to stop. It was an outstanding game of cricket -- after 38 overs, it all came down to that one over. Both teams had to reset multiple times due to interruptions, and in the end, GT held their nerve." Further, the 54-year-old spoke about the Mumbai Indians' and Gujarat Titans' play-off chances. "18 points should secure a play-off spot. GT need to win just one of their remaining three to get there. For Mumbai, they must win both upcoming games. At 16 points, things can get tricky -- you don't want to rely on other teams' results. From winning six in a row to losing today, MI won't want to take it to the wire. Winning both games is a must to control their destiny," the former player added. Coming to the match, GT won the toss and opted to bowl first. A 71-run stand between Will Jacks (53 in 35 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (35 in 24 balls, with five fours) was the highlight as wickets fell regularly, restricting MI to 155/8 in their 20 overs. Sai Kishore (2/34) was the pick of the bowlers for GT, while Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, and Gerald Coetzee took a wicket each. The run-chase was a rollercoaster ride for both teams. GT did lose Sai Sudharsan early, but a 72-run stand between skipper Shubman Gill (43 in 46 balls, with three fours and a six) and Jos Buttler (30 in 27 balls, with three fours and a six) marked their comeback in the game. In the 14th over, with GT 107/2, a rain break was taken with GT ahead as per the DLS Method. After the break, Jasprit Bumrah (2/19) and Trent Boult (2/22) brought MI back in the game, collapsing GT to 132/6 in 18 overs at the start of another rain break. This time, GT was behind. When the game finally resumed, the revised target was 147 runs with one more over left. Rahul Tewatia (11*) and Gerald Coetzee (12) single-handedly finished the job for GT, earning them a win by three wickets on a last-ball thriller. Gill was given the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
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