IPL 2023: Defending champions GT thrash Rohit Sharma’s MI by 55 runs, take second spot in points table

Match 35 of the IPL 2023 edition, on Tuesday (April 25), saw the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) take on the five-time winners Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. Hardik Pandya & Co. rode on Shubman Gill’s 56, blistering knocks from David Miller, Abhinav Manohar and Rahul Tewatia to post their highest total, 207 for 6, and beat MI by 55 runs.

Being asked to bat first, the IPL 2022 winners were off to a slow start and lost Wriddhiman Saha early. Gill looked in his elements with some sublime hits and upped the ante — taking on Cameron Green — but lost skipper Hardik for 13 (13). Against the run of play, Gill departed for a 34-ball 56. Piyush Chawla was impressive once again as he applied the brakes on GT’s scoring rate and dismissed Hardik and Vijay Shankar.

However, Miller (22-ball 46) and Manohar (21-ball 42) attacked Riley Meredith, Chawla and Green before Tewatia (5-ball 20*) joined in as GT managed 77 runs off the last five overs. In pursuit of 208, MI lost captain Rohit for cheap (2). Ishan Kishan struggled against the early movement and overall disciplined bowling from Shami-Hardik whereas Green fell for a 26-ball 33.

The Afghan spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad further pushed MI back in the run-chase, dismissing Kishan, Tilak Verma along with Tim David, Green and Suryakumar Yadav (23) respectively, as MI never managed to put up a fight. Eventually, they managed 152 for 9 in 20 overs — with Nehal Wadhera being the top-scorer (40 off 21 balls) — to lose by 55 runs.

In the overall standings, Gujarat now take the second spot — behind Chennai Super Kings (CSK) — with ten points from eight games.