Gujarat Titans pulled off a dramatic final-ball victory against Mumbai Indians in a rain-interrupted Indian Premier League (IPL) thriller, leapfrogging to the top of the table in extraordinary fashion.
In a nail-biting encounter in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night, the match swung back and forth before heavy rain disrupted Gujarat’s chase. With 24 needed off 12 balls, a second downpour halted play, putting Mumbai ahead under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
But as the rain eased just before the cut-off time of 00:30 local time, Gujarat returned to the crease with a revised target of 147 — leaving them needing 15 runs off the final over.
Rahul Tewatia ignited the chase by punching the first ball for four. South African pacer Gerald Coetzee then struck a towering six to reduce the equation to four runs from three balls. A costly no-ball from Deepak Chahar handed Gujarat an extra run and a free hit. However, Coetzee was dismissed on the penultimate delivery, leaving the scores tied.
Needing just one run to win, new batter Arshad Khan scampered through for a single on the final delivery. A direct hit from Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya could have forced a super over, but his throw missed the stumps.
The Titans were declared winners by three runs under the DLS method.
“Just remarkable,” said former England pacer Steven Finn during BBC Radio 5 Live commentary. “This game had everything — twists, tension, rain, and last-ball drama — all that was missing was a super over.”
Titans skipper Shubman Gill admitted emotions ran high. “It felt like a Test match session where everything was going against us,” he said. “Wins like this are what define a championship side.”
The result marks another high point in a pulsating IPL season.
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