IPL 2025: Rohit smashes 81 runs, MI seals Qualifier 2 berth post win vs GT

After a hopelessly one-sided, low-scoring Qualifier 1 on Thursday, the Eliminator, played on the adjacent pitch on Friday, produced a run-feast, much to the delight of the spectators who were deprived of the thrills the previous day.

Gill departs early

Opting to bat first on a flat track, Mumbai Indians were helped to a huge 228-5, thanks mainly to a stroke-filled, though lucky, knock of 81 by Rohit Sharma. At the halfway stage, one thought it was going to be another one-sided affair as Gujarat Titans would buckle under the pressure, especially after their skipper Shubman Gill, departed early to Trent Boult.

Gujarat Titans’s Sai Sudharsan en route his 49-ball 80

But Sai Sudharsan (80 in 49 balls), one of the most talented players to emerge in recent times, and Washington Sunder (48 in 24) kept the chase going till Jasprit Bumrah and Richard Gleeson struck crucial blows to slow down the flow of runs. Sherfane Rutherford (24 of 15), along with Rahul Tewatia, kept GT’s hopes alive till Boult returned to get rid of the former. That dismissal virtually sealed the fate of the match as GT fell cruelly short of the target by 20 runs.      

Despite the tough task, all credit goes to GT for the way they pursued the target till the end, thanks largely to Sudharsan. With just a bit of luck, they could well have achieved an unlikely win. But it was not to be as they were restricted to 208/6 in 20 overs. There is no doubt it was a memorable match after Thursday’s low-scoring affair that aggregated just 207 runs. MI themselves surpassed that by a long way after opting to bat first. Then GT also crossed the 200-run mark to give the crowds their money’s worth. 

Though the dream of MI winning another title, their sixth, is alive, they have another tough assignment when they take on Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Only then can they think of tackling Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on Tuesday. 

Bairstow shines with 47

The star of the day was undoubtedly Rohit, who again showed why he’s considered a big-match player. No doubt he received two early reprieves, but he made the most of that and played an innings of high calibre. His blistering start with Jonny Bairstow (47 off 22 balls), who came in place of Ryan Rickelton, ensured that MI received a solid foundation to post a big total. 

There’s no doubt that it was a memorable match for Rohit as he not only posted his highest score of the season, surpassing the 76 not out he had made against Chennai Super Kings, but also en route became only the second batsman after Chris Gayle (357 sixes in 145 innings) to hit 300 sixes (in his 271st innings) in the IPL. He also crossed 7000 IPL runs, only the second to achieve the feat after Virat Kohli. This was also the first time that Rohit had come good in an Eliminator, having not crossed the 20-run mark on the previous four occasions.

Of course, these are stats that Rohit personally would not care much about, as long as his effort is in a winning cause. He has, in the past, famously said that an innings is only worth it if it helps the team win.

This article first appeared on Mid Day