Mumbai Indians will face Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2.
Mumbai Indians (MI) made it to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Qualifier 2 after beating Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in the Eliminator on Friday. MI batted first and scored a big total of 228 for five. Gujarat tried to chase it down but ended up with 208 runs. With this win, Mumbai will now face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on June 1.
Rohit Sharma was the top scorer for MI, hitting a superb 81 off 50 balls with nine fours and four sixes. Jonny Bairstow, playing his first match of the season, made 47 runs from just 22 balls. Suryakumar Yadav also played a handy knock of 33, while Tilak Varma scored 25 and Hardik Pandya remained not out on 22.
Jasprit Bumrah was the most effective bowler for MI, giving away just 27 runs in four overs and taking one wicket. While other bowlers went for a few runs, the batting total gave them a good cushion.
MI played well as a team, and now the big question ahead of Qualifier 2 is whether they will make any changes to the playing XI or go in with the same winning side.
Richard Gleeson played his first match of the season for the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans. He made an impact by dismissing Sai Sudharsan, which helped MI gain control of the match. He bowled 3.3 overs, gave away 39 runs, and picked up one wicket.
While bowling the last over, Gleeson looked uncomfortable with his right leg. The physio checked on him, and after delivering three balls, he walked off the field. Ashwani Kumar completed the remaining deliveries.
It didn’t appear to be a serious injury and may have been due to a lack of match practice. If Gleeson is not fully fit for Qualifier 2, MI might look to bring Reece Topley.
In the Eliminator, Ashwani Kumar was used as the Impact Player, and he did a good job. He bowled 3.3 overs, gave away just 28 runs, and picked up one wicket. His performance was steady, and he played a role in MI’s 20-run win.
Another strong option is Karn Sharma. He has been impressive this season, taking seven wickets in just five innings as an Impact Player. Interestingly, MI have lost only one match in which Karn has played. However, since Ashwani bowled well in the last game, MI might continue with him.
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Hardik Pandya hasn’t bowled his full quota of four overs in any match since Mumbai Indians played Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede last month. In the Eliminator as well, he bowled only three overs and conceded 37 runs.
Over the last eight matches, Hardik has been going for a lot of runs, and in some games, he has bowled just one or two overs. With other MI bowlers doing a better job and keeping things tighter, Hardik might again bowl fewer overs in Qualifier 2.
Raj Bawa played in the Eliminator for the Mumbai Indians as a replacement for Deepak Chahar, who was out due to injury. However, MI didn’t need his services with either bat or ball during the match.
If Deepak Chahar is fit for Qualifier 2, he is likely to return to the playing XI in place of Raj Bawa. If not, Bawa might continue in the squad for the next match.
Suryakumar Yadav, who has been a key part of Mumbai Indians’ batting this season, was seen being checked by the physios during and after the Eliminator, raising some concern about a possible injury before the important Qualifier 2 against PBKS.
However, MI’s team head coach Mahela Jayawardene cleared the air in the post-match press conference. He explained that it’s normal for players to need some bandaging or rest after a long season and tough schedule. He even joked that the players are so committed they’d still play even with one leg if needed.
“I think these are a few old souls that we get a bit of bandaging, a bit of time. And I saw boys getting it done, a few others as well. We know it’s a tough schedule for us, but I think everyone’s healthy, everyone’s fit. And don’t worry about those little tightnesses. I haven’t heard anything from the physios. I’m pretty sure that even with one leg, these boys will be playing for us. Don’t worry,” Jayawardene told reporters at the press conference.
Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa/Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson, Ashwani Kumar (likely impact player).
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