Ahmedabad, Mar 29: Opener B. Sai Sudharsan continued his good start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season by top-scoring with 63 as Gujarat Titans posted a huge 196/8 in their 20 overs against Mumbai Indians in Match 9 of the tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Saturday.

On a two-paced pitch, Sudharsan was instrumental in keeping MI aside in his 41-ball knock laced with four boundaries and two sixes. He was ably supported by Jos Buttler and captain Shubman Gill, making 39 and 38 respectively.

For MI, who picked six wickets in the last five overs, captain Hardik Pandya, playing his first game of the competition, was the standout bowler with 2-29. But on a few occasions, the Mumbai Indians were lax in their ground fielding and catching.

Inserted into batting first, Gill was on song from the word go, slashing Trent Boult over backward point for four, before pulling Deepak Chahar over square-leg for another boundary. From the other end, Sudharsan stepped out for a majestic on-drive off Boult, going for four, before flicking him for another boundary.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s introduction didn’t give MI any relief as Sudharsan punched and lofted him for four and six respectively, before Gill swatted him through the leg-side for another boundary in a 15-run fifth over. Gill ended the power-play by dancing down the pitch to smash Chahar down the ground for six, before pulling him for four as the hosts amassed 66 runs in the six-over phase.

But MI managed to keep the duo in check by conceding two overs without a boundary, and that resulted in Gill pulling to deep square leg off a short ball from Pandya. Buttler got going by lofting and lapping Mitchell Santner for six and four respectively, before pulling Pandya for another boundary. With Buttler and Sudharsan continuing to get boundaries, the second-wicket stand began to take a giant shape.

But Mujeeb struck to break the 51-run partnership by having Buttler caught behind off a wide outside off-stump delivery for 39, and was followed by Shahrukh Khan being caught in the deep off Pandya. After Sudharsan got his fifty in 33 balls, he and Sherfane Rutherford took a six each off Satyanarayana Raju.

Rutherford smacked Boult over deep mid-wicket for six, before the left-arm pacer had the last laugh by trapping Sudharsan lbw for 63 with a searing yorker. One brought two more scalps for MI as Rahul Tewatia was run out for a diamond duck, while Rutherford was caught by deep extra cover off Chahar.

Despite MI having four fielders outside the 30-yard circle due to a slow-over rate penalty, Raju took out Rashid Khan in the final over, before R. Sai Kishore was run out on the last ball as the hosts finished four runs short of 200.

Brief scores:

Gujarat Titans 196/8 in 20 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 63, Jos Buttler 39; Hardik Pandya 2-29) against Mumbai Indians

--IANS

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