Mumbai Indians kept themselves in the playoff race for the final after outlasting Gujarat Titans by a six-wicket margin in the Eliminator at Mullanpur on Saturday. Electing to bat first, MI dictated terms from the first ball itself, with Jonny Bairstow the debutant of the franchise for the blockbuster match taking the game by storm with a 47 off just 22 balls. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, received two let-offs early on in his innings as he was dropped twice before compiling a magnificent 81 off 50 balls, a knock that even drew praise and intrigue from veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who later questioned MI’s consistent run of fortune in high-stakes matches.
Ashwin Recalls Past to Highlight MI’s Fortunes
Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s retired spinner who currently plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, made an interesting comment regarding MI’s lucky reprieves during the Eliminator match. The spinner took a cue from his own experience when he faced MI during a 2018 game to make his point.
“Prasidh Krishna was after the Purple Cap. The way he was bowling today, he would’ve gone to another level in the Eliminator. He was clocking 150kph. There was one over where Jonny Bairstow smashed him for 26 runs, but in that over, he tried to get his wicket in 2-3 balls. It was an incisive over, but he couldn’t get the wicket. And after that, the game went for the worse,” Ashwin began.
‘Hand of God’ Behind Rohit’s Brilliance, Says Ashwin
“He dropped a catch. Then, Kusal Mendis dropped a catch off Siraj’s bowling. Then, Rohit was unstoppable. It looked like a hand of god was with Rohit Sharma. He had the luck but he capitalised on the chances.
“I’ve seen one thing against Mumbai Indians, every time. In 2018, I was leading Punjab against MI. They were 80-odd for five wickets in 13 overs. They weren’t anywhere in the game. Suddenly, the floodlights lost current and we had a 20-minute break. And when the game resumed, Kieron Pollard went ballistic and they went to smash around 180-200 runs.”
Ashwin added that MI “always get lucky.” “Of course, you earn your luck. But MI always get lucky. We have to find out how they’re getting so lucky,” said Ashwin.
MI to Face PBKS for Finals Berth
MI are the five-time league champions and the joint-most successful teams together with Chennai Super Kings.
Mumbai Indians take on Punjab Kings for a finals spot in the IPL. Punjab Kings may be low in morale following an 8-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but they topped the points table in the league stage with 19 points.
