On a gripping night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans’ head coach Ashish Nehra couldn’t contain his frustration during the IPL 2025 match against Mumbai Indians. The incident unfolded against the backdrop of a dramatic collapse in the Gujarat batting lineup, which threatened to derail their innings on Saturday evening.
The match began promisingly for Gujarat, with opener Sai Sudharsan powering through to a strong 63 runs off 41 balls, setting a solid foundation at 170 for three after 17 overs. However, Mumbai Indians’ strategic bowling during the death overs turned the tide, causing Gujarat to plummet from 179 for four to 179 for six within just three balls.
The turning point came when Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed by Deepak Chahar, a moment that visibly triggered Nehra’s outburst, captured vividly on camera. Gujarat’s eventual total of 196 for eight, despite the late collapse, proved sufficient as they clinched a 36-run victory.
This wasn’t the first time Gujarat faced such a collapse in the season. Previously against Punjab Kings during a high-scoring chase, they lost momentum drastically from 169 for two in the 14th over to 232 for five by the end.
Sudharsan’s knock marked his second consecutive fifty, building on his impressive 74 against Punjab. The win against Mumbai marked Gujarat’s first points of the IPL 2025 season, following their narrow defeat by 11 runs against Punjab in their previous outing.
On the bowling front, Mohammad Siraj made significant early inroads by dismissing Mumbai’s openers, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton, during the powerplay. Prasidh Krishna further solidified Gujarat’s position by taking crucial wickets of Suryakumar Yadav (48) and Tilak Varma (39), effectively thwarting any potential Mumbai comeback.
For Mumbai Indians, this defeat marked their second consecutive loss, following a four-wicket defeat to Chennai Kings the previous Sunday. As the IPL 2025 season progresses, both teams will look to regroup and refine their strategies for upcoming challenges.