Gujarat Titans took down Mumbai Indians by 36 runs in Saturday’s IPL match. Mumbai struggled to chase 197 runs, ending with 160 in 20 overs. Their top order crumbled – Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton both got out for 6 runs. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma tried to steady the ship with a 62-run partnership, but it wasn’t enough.
Mumbai’s batting lineup had some surprises. Hardik Pandya chose Robin Minj, a relatively inexperienced player, over himself in the batting order. This decision backfired, as Minj scored just 3 runs off 6 balls. Pandya’s explosive batting style might have changed the outcome if he had come in earlier.
Before this match, Mumbai Indians had lost their first game but were hopeful. Their new player, Vignesh Puthur, had impressed in his debut against Chennai Super Kings, taking 3 crucial wickets. However, Pandya didn’t include him in the playing 11 for this match, a decision that many saw as a mistake.
Pandya also left out Wil Jacks, an English player who had scored a century on this very ground last year. Jacks’ experience and form made his exclusion surprising. These lineup choices, combined with the team’s slow batting, ultimately led to Mumbai’s defeat.