Mumbai: Speaking exclusively on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Anil Kumble shared his thoughts on Gujarat Titans’s performance and the thrilling final over: “Last over sealed the deal. As a bowler in that situation, your primary thought is not to concede a boundary. With the dew and low bounce, it became even easier for GT. When you have two batters who can clear the ropes and a mindset like Coetzee’s — he said post-match, ‘see ball, hit ball’ — it’s tough to stop. It was an outstanding game of cricket — after 38 overs, it all came down to that one over. Both teams had to reset multiple times due to interruptions, and in the end, GT held their nerve.”
Anil Kumble on Mumbai Indians’ and Gujarat Titans’s play-off chances:
“18 points should secure a play-off spot. GT need to win just one of their remaining three to get there. For Mumbai, they must win both upcoming games. At 16 points, things can get tricky — you don’t want to rely on other teams’ results. From winning six in a row to losing today, MI won’t want to take it to the wire. Winning both games is a must to control their destiny.”
JioStar expert Aakash Chopra on Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant spell:
“Bumrah has made it a habit to produce game-changing spells. Coming in right after the strategic timeout and rain break, he dismissed Shubman Gill and then Shahrukh Khan, swinging the momentum back to MI. He’s a once-in-a-generation talent — you could talk about him endlessly. Frankly, he deserves to be the most expensive player in the league. It’s unfortunate that he isn’t.”
Aakash also spoke about Rahul Tewatia being an asset for Gujarat Titans:
“He’s a true clutch player, and that’s why GT were keen to retain him. I spoke to Ashish Nehra, and he told me, ‘If Tewatia went into the auction, I’d end up spending close to ₹10 crore on him.’ Not many Indians can bat effectively at that number. He often faces just a handful of deliveries and is expected to clear the ropes every time. Today, he had only six balls — he hit a crucial four. Adding to MI’s troubles, they had five fielders inside the circle in the final over due to a fielding penalty. With just 15 to defend and coming back after a long break, it’s tough to execute under pressure. That boundary off the first ball might have been prevented if the field was set differently. But that’s how these games go.”
Anil Kumble on Gujarat Titans’s bowling performance:
“GT’s bowling effort was outstanding. The first six overs were a bit sloppy in the field — had they taken those catches, this game might have ended much earlier. That said, all their bowlers performed well. Sai Kishore was exceptional — his left-arm spin removed two of the biggest threats, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. We’ve seen these two take games away repeatedly. For me, Sai Kishore was the unsung hero, delivering four impactful overs. And despite all the stoppages, GT’s batting effort in the chase was equally commendable.”
