Hardik Pandya’s return back to his old home Ahmedabad was ruined by order of veteran pacer Umesh Yadav, as Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans claimed a nail-biting 6-run win over visitors Mumbai Indians.
It was definitely not a welcome homecoming for the MI skipper Hardik Pandya, who was instantly booed by the crowds of Ahmedabad. Nor was it any more welcome from the GT openers, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, who slashed Pandya away for boundaries galore from the get-go.
After a blistering start from both openers, it was the inevitable Jasprit Bumrah who came in to help save his new skipper’s face, as he struck almost instantly to knock the stumps off against Saha to send him back to the pavilion.
MI then introduced their spinners, who helped slow down the momentum, but it was the veteran Piyush Chawla who proved to be too good for the menacing Gill to scalp the GT skipper.
Despite the loss of early wickets, Sai Sudharsan came in with veracity to keep the scores ticking for GT as they were seemingly cruising to a challenging total.
New joinee Gerald Coetzee then came in to make the difference in his first over, as the Protean quickly removed Omarzai, and broke up what was shaping up to be a blossoming partnership between the Afghan and Sai Sudharshan.
But, nothing fazed Sudharshan, who exhibited timely composure to steady the ship for GT and keep them in the running.
Right when it seemed like MI has lost their fight. ‘Boom Boom’ Bumrah came back in to bamboozle veteran dangerman David Miller and the looming Sudharshan in the same over, to once again swing the momentum in the favour of the visitors.
Finally, it was a quickfire innings from the likes of Rahul Tewatia that steered GT to set a fairly competitive total of 169 for Mumbai.
A dominant start is what MI needed, but not what they got, as Omarzai exacted his revenge and sent Ishan Kishan back to the pavilion for a duck in the very first over.
But, Omarzai would get punished by Naman Dhir, who piled on the misery and the runs, smashing the Afghan for 3 fours and a six, before losing his wicket to the very same.
Down two wickets, MI then opted to send out Dewald Brevis as the Impact Player and along with the help of the masterful Rohit Sharma went on a fiery blitz to exert pressure back on the Titans.
Ex-skipper Rohit Sharma played his classic game, toying with GT’s bowlers as he effortlessly pulled them away for boundaries at will.
Brevis joined in on the fun as well, clobbering GT for sixes galore as the two batters brought up their 50-run partnership in no time.
A deflated Gujarat were seeking an answer from someone in their ranks, and it was finally Sai Kishore, who stepped up and got rid of the veteran Rohit Sharma with a deceptive slider that rolled onto the ex-skipper’s pads for an LBW.
Brevis kept the onslaught going alongside newly-introduced Tilak Verma, but it was GT’s Impact Player Mohit Sharma who was the point of difference at a pivotal moment, removing the set Protean batter who was on the verge of his debut fifty at 46.
But with 36 needed in the last three overs, it was the veteran Sharma who once again turned the tide for GT, removing the hard-hitting slogger Tim David, forcing skipper Hardik Pandya to step into the crease of his once-called home.
And after a magical over from Spencer Johnson, who scalped two wickets of his own, the stage was set for Pandya to rise as MI’s hero.
With MI needing 19 off the last over, Gill made the decision to place the ball in the hands of veteran Umesh Yadav over Omarzai.
Yadav would go on to pay him back in plenty as after being slashed for a six and a boundary off his first two deliveries, the pacer would go on to scalp Pandya and send his side packing back to Mumbai, as Gujarat went on to win by 6 runs.