IPL 2022, GT vs MI Top Performances: David's late assault, Kishan's 45 & 2 run outs bring MI 2nd win

IPL 2022, GT vs MI Top Performances: Tim David's 44*, Rashid Khan's 2-24 and Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha's 106-run partnership are top three performances.

Sams defended 9 runs of the final over against Gujarat Titans (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Brief Scores: MI 177-6 (Kishan 45, David 44*, Rashid 24/2) beat GT 172-5 (Saha 55, Gill 52, Murugan Ashwin 29/2) by 5 runs

Player of the Match: Tim David (44* off 21 balls)

Mumbai Indians (MI) showed a glimpse of their trademark grit and defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by 5 runs in the 51st match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday evening.

Both the sides had come into this match-up with contrasting outcomes in their previous respective outings. After having won five matches on the trot, Gujarat Titans got derailed in their last game when Punjab Kings avenged their loss in the previous encounter with an 8-wicket victory over the Hardik Pandya-led side on May 3. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians broke the jinx which has haunted them badly this season, following a 5-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on April 30. MI’s lasty win ended their eight-match losing streak in IPL 2022. Their win owed to an all-round performance including the 81-run stand between Suryakumar Yadav (51) and Tilak Varma (35).

Mumbai Indians have been virtually knocked out of contention for IPL 2022 playoffs, following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s victory over Chennai Super Kings by 13 runs. While Gujarat Titans played this game to plaster their position at the top of IPL 2022 points table and improve their net run rate. Going into this game, MI brought in Murugan Ashwin who replaced Hrithik Shokeen in the starting XI, while Gujarat Titans’ squad remained unchanged. Facing his former team for the first time this season, Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Gujarat Titans lose momentum at the last mile

Having been asked to take the field, Mumbai Indians, unlike all their matches this season, got off to a steady start with skipper Rohit Sharma (43) and Ishan Kishan (45) turning the tide in their favour. The opening duo accumulated 63 runs for no loss during the powerplay overs. MI registered their highest powerplay total this season and incidentally, the second highest powerplay score against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. The game did change in Gujarat Titans’ favour at one point when Rashid Khan sent Kieron Pollard back to the pavilion and virtually killed MI’s hopes of going beyond 200 runs. However, Tim David came to their rescue and took the side’s total to a respectable 177/6 with a blazing 44*(21).

Picking Murugan Ashwin ahead of Hrithik Shokeen did pay good dividends for MI as the leg-spinner picked 2/29 in four overs, including two crucial scalps of GT openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, who got their side on the brink of victory. Gujarat Titans needed 9 runs off to win in the final over, but some tight bowling from Daniel Sams and the crucial run out of Rahul Tewatia (3) effected by Tilak Verma and Ishan Kishan, snatched victory from the jaws of Gujarat Titans and handed it over to Mumbai Indians for their second win of the season.

Here are the top three performances of the game between GT and MI, IPL 2022.

Rashid Khan sent Rohit and Pollard back to hut in his 2-24 spell (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Rashid Khan returns impressive figures of 2/24

One of the most successful spinners in the tournament, Rashid Khan, remained the most successful bowler for GT with two crucial scalps. Rohit Sharma, who was looking menacing while quickly approaching his 41st half-century in the tournament, threw away his wicket courtesy Rashid Khan, who got his first wicket of the game. He trapped the MI skipper leg before the wicket, when the latter was looking good on 43 runs off 28 deliveries. Rashid Khan with his confident Decision Review System (DRS) call, got the on-field umpire’s decision overturned and sent back the MI skipper,

While MI lost their first wicket on 74 runs in 7.3 overs. Rashid Khan next dismissed Trinidadian batter Kieron Pollard (4), who got bowled after succumbing to four consecutive dot balls. Rashid Khan finished with an economical, yet crucial spell of 2/24 in four overs.

With his spell, Rashid Khan remains the leading wicket-taker in the middle overs (between 7-15 overs) with 73 wickets to his name since making his IPL debut in 2017. Moreover, he contributed big time on the field with three catches to his name including Ishan Kishan (45), Suryakumar Yadav (13), and Daniel Sams (0).

Read More: IPL 2022, PBKS vs GT, Top Performances: Rabada's incisive 4-33, Dhawan 62* catapult PBKS to 5th spot

Tim David gets player of the match against GT for his 21-ball-44 (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Tim David’s late assault (44* off 21 balls) helps MI post 177/6

Mumbai Indians have found a good finisher in the form of Tim David, who has been proving the same in the last few matches including this one. David came to the crease in the 15th over when MI lost Kieron Pollard. The Singapore batter, in his first six balls, targeted Mohammed Shami for a couple of boundaries, followed by another six runs through three couples. He then hit Alzarri Joseph (41/1) for a six, followed by another six off Lockie Ferguson’s (34/1).

David kept his strike rate beyond 200 throughout his innings, while he selectively targeted Gujarat Titans bowlers, especially Mohammed Shami, whom he targeted for 26 runs during his knock. With his unbeaten 44* off 21 balls at a strike rate of 209.52, Mumbai Indians posted 177/6 in 20 overs. With a strike rate of 187.80 in just four matches, David has proven to be a good finisher for Mumbai Indians.

Read More: IPL 2022, RCB vs GT, Top Performances: Tewatia-Miller 79* stand gives GT 8th win; RCB face trial now

Gujarat Titans lost to MI despite Saha-Gill's 106-run opening stand (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Shubman Gill-Wriddhiman Saha’s 106-run stand gave GT solid platform in their chase

In their quest of 178 runs, Gujarat Titans got off to a steady start which soon became belligerent. Openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill managed just a single off the first over, but the seasoned wicketkeeper batter Wriddhiman Saha charged down against Jasprit Bumrah and smacked him for 14 runs in his first over. The duo targeted Bumrah who has been under fire this season for lacking wicket-taking acumen in the powerplay as well as the death overs.

Gujarat Titans managed 54/0 after the powerplay, as both the openers further aimed for the 100-run mark. They hit periodical sixes and boundaries by categorically targeting MI bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah (0/48), who remained wicketless in the game. Wriddhiman Saha reached his 10th IPL fifty and also scored 167 runs in six innings during the powerplay overs this season. While Shubman Gill, with his decent form, scored his 12th IPL fifty.

In no time, Gujarat Titans breached the 100-run mark in the 11th over, owing to the century-stand between Saha and Gill, which incidentally was the third 100-run stand in IPL 2022. Unfortunately, that was brought to a halt when Murugan Ashwin, who came to bowl his third over, got MI their first breakthrough in the 13th over and broke the 106-run stand by dismissing Gill for a personal score of 52. Later in the same over, Ashwin got MI their second breakthrough by dismissing Saha who went back after scoring 55 runs off 40 balls.

Gujarat Titans found themselves at 111/2 after 13 overs, with 66 required in 7 overs. However, the 106-run stand laid the foundation for GT for their 9th win of IPL 2022, which they, unfortunately, lost by 5 runs in the end.

Read More: IPL 2022, MI vs RR Top Performances: Meredith's 2-24 restricts RR to 158; MI register first win

TATA IPL 2022 Points Table

TATA IPL 2022 Points Table: No change in points table

Points Table Scenario

GT still need one more win to solidify their place in the playoffs as that will take them to 18 points. While MI are virtually out of contention for the final four as they have lost as many as eight games this season and are placed at the 10th position with just four points against their name.

What’s to come

There will be a double-header on May 7 as Punjab Kings face Rajasthan Royals in the afternoon game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai; this will be followed by the night game between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.

Here are some of the top twitter reactions from GT vs MI game as Mumbai Indians beat table topper Gujarat Titans by 5 runs.

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