Rohit Sharma led the Mumbai Indians’ batting charge with his 81 to knock the Gujarat Titans out of the IPL with a 20-run win in the eliminator on Friday.
Electing to bat, five-time champions Mumbai rode on a blazing opening stand between Rohit and England’s Jonny Bairstow, who hit 47, to post 228-5 at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh.
Bowlers combined to restrict Gujarat to 208-6 despite a valiant 80 by in-form opener Sai Sudharsan in a do-or-die playoff clash.
Mumbai will now meet the Punjab Kings in the second qualifier in Ahmedabad on Sunday to decide the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s opponent in the title clash on 3 June.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow joined Mumbai ahead of the playoffs due to a few players leaving the tournament to fulfil international commitments and made an instant impact in his 22-ball knock.
Rohit, who recently retired from Test cricket along with Virat Kohli, picked up pace despite surviving two dropped catches on three and 12 in a sloppy display of fielding by Gujarat players.
He made the most of the reprieves as he hit nine fours and four sixes in his 50 ball knock to be named player of the match.
“I’ve got only four fifties [this season], I think I would have liked to get more,” said Rohit. “Today, after having some luck going my way, I knew I had to make the most of it. I’m glad I could do that, and get the team into a good position.”
Gujarat missed wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler and his replacement Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis dropped two catches with the gloves.
“Not easy when we drop three sitters, especially in the powerplay,” said Gujarat captain Shubman Gill. “Not easy for the bowlers to control.”
Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore denied Bairstow his fifty with Gerald Coetzee taking a relay catch from Sudharsan’s rebound.
Rohit kept up the charge as he went past 7,000 IPL runs and reached his 47th fifty in the tournament with a four.
Suryakumar Yadav hit three sixes and one four in his 20-ball 33 before falling to Kishore.
Gujarat attempted to pull things back with some disciplined bowling in the middle overs as Prasidh Krishna dismissed Rohit and fellow quick Mohammed Siraj cut short Tilak Varma’s knock on 25.
Captain Hardik Pandya finished with a flourish in his unbeaten 22 off nine balls as Coetzee conceded 22 runs in the 20th over.
In reply, Gujarat lost Gill in the first over when former New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult trapped the opener lbw for one.
Sudharsan, who leads the IPL batting chart with 759 runs, put the chase on track in key stands including an 84-run partnership with fellow left-hander Washington Sundar, who hit 48.
Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah bowled Sundar with a yorker and Mumbai’s latest England import Richard Gleeson rattled the stumps of Sudharsan to dim Gujarat’s hopes.
Bumrah returned figures of 1-27 from his four overs and head coach Mahela Jayawardene called him a “massive asset”.
Impact substitute Sherfane Rutherford fell on 24 in the 19th and with 24 needed in the final over Gleeson, who bowled just three balls before pulling out with apparent cramp, and then Ashwani Kumar kept their calm to seal Mumbai’s win.
The league was extended by nine days after being paused due to a military conflict between India and Pakistan and some overseas players including Buttler left before the playoffs.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images
