David, Ashwin pull off heist for MI

The Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the fifty-first game of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match was played in the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Tim David was adjudged to be the Man of the Match.

Sharma on point

Rohit Sharma came into the match with an IPL average of 17 and a strike rate of 123 this season, but he seemed in excellent form. He started with Alzarri Joseph, but in the first six overs, he went after every bowler, scoring 42, the most he'd ever scored in an IPL powerplay. Smooth hitting was on display once more. Ishan Kishan wasn't quite as fluid, though he did have a few advantages, and he kept scoring rapidly as well. In a poor season, the 63 for 0 after six overs was certainly their finest powerplay.

Khan retaliates

Teams have opted not to hand Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine wickets, even if it means batting them out at a slower rate. Khan only had nine wickets going into this match, but he was averaging under seven an over. Sharma, on the other hand, was eager to attack everyone since the pitch was fantastic and they needed a huge total. Khan bowled inside the powerplay for 13 runs in his opening over. It only took two dots in Khan's second to bring out the reverse-sweep. Khan, on the other hand, was far too accurate for that, trapping him leg before wicket.

Muddled middle-overs

Three Mumbai hitters each scored more than 40 runs at a strike rate of more than 150, but their total was the lowest of 134 Twenty20 (T20) innings. Kieron Pollard, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav combined for 38 off 41 to counter Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tim David's 132 off 78.

Pollard, in particular, was an odd pick to come in during the 13th over, when he was supposed to be playing out Lockie Ferguson and Khan. He intended to play Khan out, but Khan was able to hit the top of off with a legbreak past his forward-defensive.

The Titans, to their credit, responded effectively to the powerplay by changing up the pace throughout the rest of the innings to keep Mumbai at bay. At the midway point, David, who brought them to 177 with two sixes in the final over, was dejected, stating they were well short.

Saha-Gill performance

Wriddhiman Saha resumed his outstanding intent at the start of the chase, taking the burden off Shubman Gill, who had been unable to gallop. He used his pace to go after Jasprit Bumrah, taking 25 off nine balls in his opening two overs, the most anyone has ever taken off him in a T20 powerplay. Gill lifted the weight off Saha near the conclusion of the powerplay, who tends to slow down once the field is spread. Murugan Ashwin gave him a six and a four, Daniel Sams gave him a hat-trick of fours, and left-arm wristspinner Kumar Kartikeya gave him a six and a four.

Now, Gill had to like Ashwin following his previous success against him, but it was probably time for Saha to attack the bowling and Gill to prepare to bat through. Gill, on the other hand, was the first to strike, holed out at the start of the 13th over. Saha followed in the same direction, sweep top-edged.

Titans exhaust themselves

Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, maintained his form from earlier in the season. Despite Sai Sudharsan's hit-wicket dismissal for trying to batter the trousers off a slower bouncer from Pollard and losing his bottom hand on the bat, the Titans were on track, requiring 22 from 15 deliveries.

When the ball was rolling through to the keeper, Pandya beckoned David Miller through for a quick single. Pandya would have been in with a dive or a full stretch, but the replays caught him on the line when the wicket lit up, surprising him.

Despite having a bad night, Bumrah created some suspense in the 19th over, giving only four runs off four balls. Miller, on the other hand, appeared to have sealed the chase when he smashed the fifth, a short ball, for a flat six to bring the total to 10 off seven balls.

Rahul Tewatia missed a slower ball from Sams at eight off five. He tried a second off the following ball, but despite a sluggish and off-target throw from deep midwicket, he couldn't make it. Six runs were needed off two balls, as Khan hit a single off the fourth pitch.

Sams managed to go past the bat on both occasions with full and wide slower balls.