In an electrifying encounter on a scorching evening in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans showcased their batting prowess in the death overs, while the Afghan spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad mesmerized Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup, leading to a thrilling 55-run victory for the home team. With this win, Titans soared to second place on the IPL points table, tied with Chennai Super Kings at 10 points each. Mumbai Indians’ death bowling issues resurfaced as they struggled to contain the Titans’ batsmen in the final overs, conceding 70 runs in the last four, echoing their previous game against Punjab Kings where they leaked 65 runs in the death.

Shubman Gill’s magnificent fifty and a blistering partnership of 71 runs off just 35 balls between Abhinav Manohar and David Miller lifted the Titans to a formidable total of 207 for 6. In reply, Mumbai’s batting lineup faltered against the crafty Afghan spinners, with only one top-order batsman managing to cross the 25-run mark. They fell short by a significant margin, reaching 152 for 9, unable to recover after being reduced to 59 for 5 in the 11th over. Mumbai began with tight bowling, courtesy of Arjun Tendulkar’s inswing and Jason Behrendorff’s discipline, which restricted Titans to 33 for 1 after the powerplay. However, Gill launched a blistering onslaught, milking Cameron Green for 17 runs in the last over of the powerplay, accelerating the run rate past eight. Despite losing wickets in the middle overs, Titans’ Abhinav Manohar displayed courage and aggression, turning the tide in their favor. He attacked Piyush Chawla with impressive boundaries, shifting the momentum firmly in Titans’ favor.

Manohar, along with David Miller, took the Mumbai bowlers to the cleaners in the final overs, hammering three successive sets of back-to-back sixes in the last three overs, finishing with a grand total of 207. Mumbai’s chase got off to a sluggish start as Mohammed Shami’s accuracy and swing caused trouble for Ishan Kishan, who struggled to get going. Hardik Pandya’s fiery deliveries further compounded Mumbai’s woes, removing the dangerous Rohit Sharma cheaply.

When Titans unleashed Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad in tandem, the game tilted in their favor. Rashid struck swiftly, dismissing Kishan and Tilak Varma in quick succession, while Noor accounted for Cameron Green and Tim David, leaving Mumbai reeling at 59 for 5 after 11 overs.

Though Suryakumar Yadav played a brief cameo, Nehal Wadhera impressed with his mature and aggressive batting, scoring 40 off 21 balls, displaying excellent temperament under pressure. However, it was too little too late as Mumbai Indians’ chase ultimately fizzled out, and Gujarat Titans emerged victorious with a comprehensive win, propelling them to the upper echelons of the points table.