On May 12, the Gujarat Titans narrowly defeated the Mumbai Indians, sealing victory with a boundary on the final ball. They prevailed in an incredible high-scoring climax to escape relegation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). That final played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad sent the Titans soaring to the top of the IPL standings. Now they are serious title contenders for the title!
For their part, the Titans had a battler’s brawl of a thrill ride. With exactly one run needed off the last ball, they were hell-bent on concluding their triumph in style. Batting at number 11, Arshad Khan made that important run, giving his team a close three-wicket win. This decisive win put Gujarat on level points with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. It was Bengaluru that finished on top due to their better net run-rate.
Opponents the Mumbai Indians then posted a daunting target of 156 runs, with 155-8 off their prescribed 20 overs. Will Jacks was the standout performer for Mumbai, contributing 53 runs, while Suryakumar Yadav added 35 runs to the total. The Titans’ bowlers were under the pump throughout the innings. Hardik Pandya couldn’t have asked for a worse day in the office, even bowled an 11-ball over including two no-balls and three wides.
As Hardik himself admitted after the match, his no-balls were like “committing a crime” in T20 cricket. He explained the challenges of bowling under such conditions, stating, “The ball kept getting wetter – I don’t know if it helped us or not. It was difficult.”
When the Gujarat Titans picked up their innings, they lost early wickets but kept their cool for a significant win. Jos Buttler was the key figure in their innings with 30 runs before rain forced the match to be abandoned. Buttler went on to build a crucial 72-run partnership with Shubman Gill to put the team in contention for a mouth-watering finish.
Still, as the match continued, tensions boiled over. Gill reflected on the rollercoaster of feelings experienced during the game: “There were a lot of emotions, most of them frustrating because at one point we were ahead of the game and it felt like one of those Test match sessions that don’t go your way.”
The torrential rain made things even more difficult, forcing the use of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method to adjust the target. The Gujarat Titans were on the cusp of defeat at 146 runs after 19 overs. With one run required from the final ball, Arshad Khan successfully crossed the line, securing an unforgettable victory for his team.
The Gujarat Titans showed remarkable fight in this match. Their ambition not to just stick around but actually stay atop the league was clear as day. With this victory, they proved to their closest competitors that come August they would be a force to be reckoned with in their quest for the championship.
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