Gerald Coetzee was the unlikely hero for the Gujarat Titans as they re-stole a DLS victory by three wickets from the Mumbai Indians in their IPL clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The home side posted a modest 155-8 after being asked to bat first and were in terrible trouble with GT on 113-2 with more than five overs remaining and Shubman Gill and Sherfane Rutherford well wet following a platform-laying 30 from 27 balls by Jos Buttler.
But the imperious Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-19-2) claimed two vital wickets to put MI in charge, bowling captain Gill with a snorting off-cutter for 43 before Kiwi Trent Boult (2-22) trapped Rutherford lbw for 28 from just 15 balls with two fours and two sixes.
For playing an impactful knock at the start of the innings, captain Shubman Gill receives the Player of the Match award ✨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2025
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/DdKG6ZnEXS #TATAIPL | #MIvGT | @ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/HRBFm9gBFU
When Bumrah bowled Shahrukh Khan (6) the run-chase was shuddering at 126-6 but the game was set for a barnstorming finish with 24 required from the last two overs before the fourth rain interruption appeared to be the final one.
Yet there was just time for one final over before the (fiddled) cut-off time with DLS determining a target of 15 runs for the Titans.
Coetzee had a struck a critical four and straight six in his 12 from six balls which allowed Rahul Tehatiwa to hit the winning runs after a painfully prolonged evening.
And we all can breathe now 😅@gujarat_titans seal the match in Mumbai 📍
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2025
They win by 3⃣ wickets
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Earlier, a partnership of 71 between Englishman Will Jacks (53 from 35 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (35 from 24) promised more but when Suryakumar sliced a drive against excellent left-arm spinner Sai Kishore (2-34) to long off the wickets tumbled and the home side crashed from 97-2 to 123-7.
Ryan Rickelton (2) slapped the second ball of the innings from Mohammad Siraj and fellow opener Rohit Sharma (7) miscued ,seamer Arshad Khan (3-0-18-1) to mid off. but Jacks (5x4, 3x6) briefly threatened to regain control before sweeping Afghan legspinner Rashid Khan to deep square leg.
A Coetzee (2-0-10-1) short ball had Tilak Varma (7) in a tangle while captain Hardik Pandya (1) and Naman Dhir (7) both skewed drives to mid-off but Corbin Bosch gave Mumbai hope with a consecutive sixes and a four in his 27 from 22 balls.
The result moved GT to the top of the log ahead of RCB on net run-rate rate with both teams on 16 points from 11 games and assured of a playoff place while Mumbai remain well-positioned in fourth place with 14 points.
MUMBAI INDIANS: Ryan Rickelton (wkt), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (captain), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
GUJARAT TITANS: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wkt), Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna