IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Titans to set up high-stakes Qualifier 2 clash against Punjab Kings
Mumbai Indians peaking at the perfect time
After finishing bottom of the league table last season and losing four of their first five games of 2025, few would have expected that we would still be talking about the Mumbai Indian’s heading into the penultimate match of this year’s Indian Premier League.
However, here we are, with the five-time champions now set to face PBKS in Qualifier 2 on Sunday, June 1, at the Narendra Modi Stadium for a spot in the final. Our Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians prediction is already live, so don’t forget to check that out.
MI produced one of their best performances of the competition on Friday, when they held off the Gujarat Titans to secure a 20-run victory in the Eliminator, successfully defending their first innings total of 228/5.
What is most exciting for Mumbai fans is that their team have been finding form with each passing game, and that was evident again on Friday, when Rohit Shama scored 81 runs off just 50 deliveries at the top of the order - his best innings of the 2025 IPL.
Jonny Bairstow, who was brought in as a replacement for Will Jacks, made an immediate impact for his team, smashing 47 runs off 27 balls, and together with Sharma, the opening pair gave their team a solid 87-run opening-wicket partnership.
New Zealand speedster Trent Boult picked up two wickets, but was expensive, going for 14 runs per over, while the pick of the bowlers was Jasprit Bumrah, who strangled the Gujarat batsmen and ended with a very economical 1/27 in his four overs.
Gujarat Titans run out of steam after fast start
In the middle of May, the Gujarat Titans were the favourites to win this year’s IPL according to most online betting sites after demolishing the Delhi Capitals by 10 wickets to record their ninth win in 12 matches, making them the first team to secure their spot in the Playoffs.
Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill chased down 199/3 with a stunning opening-wicket partnership which propelled the pair to the top of the Orange Cap standings, but that also proved to be their final victory in the competition.
GT lost their penultimate group-stage match by 33 runs to the Lucknow Super Giants, but their slide in the betting market began after getting embarrassed by the Chennai Super Kings in their final match by 83 runs.
Sudharsan, perhaps, could be exempted from the reasons behind the Titans’ dip in form, as the 23-year-old top-scored in each of the team’s final four games in the competition, including the Eliminator, where he smashed 80 off 49 deliveries.
However, GT’s bowlers were largely ineffective during the back-end of the campaign, and while Prasidh Krishna overtook Noor Ahmad for the Purple Cap with two wickets against Mumbai, he also shipped 13.25 runs per over in the match.
With the side from Gujarat now eliminated, it all comes down to Qualifier 2 on Sunday, with the winner moving on to face Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the grand final on June 3 in Ahmedabad.
