The Mumbai Indians have set a formidable target of 229 for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator at Mullanpur. A blistering batting display, spearheaded by a vintage Rohit Sharma knock, propelled MI to 228/5 in their allotted 20 overs. The winner of this match will proceed to Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings (PBKS).

MI, after winning the toss, opted to bat first, and the decision immediately proved to be a masterstroke. Rohit Sharma, along with Jonny Bairstow, provided a flying start, with both batsmen taking on the Gujarat Titans' bowling attack from the get-go. The opening pair raced to 79/0 in the powerplay, setting the stage for a massive score. Bairstow, playing his first IPL match in three years, justified his inclusion with a rapid 47 off 22 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes.

Rohit Sharma, however, was the star of the show. Rolling back the years, the former MI captain played a magnificent innings of 81 off 50 balls. He struck seven fours and five sixes, dominating the GT bowlers and enthralling the crowd. During his innings, Rohit also became only the second Indian batter to score 7,000 runs in IPL history, after Virat Kohli. He also became the second player after Chris Gayle to register 300 sixes in the tournament.

After Bairstow's dismissal, Suryakumar Yadav joined Rohit in the middle, and the duo continued the onslaught. Suryakumar contributed a quickfire 33 off 20 balls, with one four and three sixes, before being dismissed by Sai Kishore. Tilak Varma then joined Rohit, and the pair added 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Rohit was eventually dismissed by Prasidh Krishna, but not before he had done significant damage.

In the final overs, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya provided the finishing touches, ensuring MI reached a formidable total. Varma scored 25 off 12 balls, while Pandya remained unbeaten on 20 off 11 balls. MI's score of 228/5 is the highest IPL total at Mullanpur.

The Gujarat Titans' bowling attack struggled to contain the MI batsmen. Sai Kishore was the most successful bowler, taking 2/42 in his four overs. Prasidh Krishna also picked up two wickets but was expensive, conceding 43 runs. Rashid Khan, usually a key component of the GT bowling attack, had a relatively quiet day, finishing with figures of 0/31 in his four overs. Mohammed Siraj picked up one wicket.

For Gujarat Titans to win, they would need to score 229 runs. Both teams entered the contest on the back of losses in their previous encounters. Punjab Kings extinguished MI's hopes of a top two finish, while GT succumbed to a batting performance from Chennai Super Kings.