"When he started hitting, Gujarat had no idea whatsoever" - Aakash Chopra lauds Rohit Sharma's knock in IPL 2025 Eliminator win vs GT

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Rohit Sharma for playing a match-winning knock in the Mumbai Indians' (MI) IPL 2025 Eliminator clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT). He noted that the GT bowlers didn't have any answers when the MI opener started hitting.

Rohit smashed 81 runs off 50 deliveries as MI set GT a 229-run target in the second playoff game of IPL 2025 in New Chandigarh on Friday, May 30. The five-time champions then restricted Shubman Gill and company to 208/6 to register a 20-run win and book their berth in Qualifier 2.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener praised Rohit for raising his game in the IPL 2025 Eliminator and leaving the opposition clueless about how they could stop him.

"You gave Rohit Sharma two lives, and after that, Rohit Sharma showed why Rohit Sharma is Rohit Sharma. Is Rohit Sharma at his peak? No, he isn't there. However, never doubt that the guy is a champion. He hadn't scored runs in the entire Champions Trophy, but who was the Player of the Match in the final - Rohit Sharma," he said (2:55).

"He scored runs in this tournament, made three fifties, but the ups and downs were seen, and there were questions about his game against left-arm seamers, but who scored runs in this match - Rohit Sharma. Rohit Sharma's story is that the day he fires, he does it in a way that he gladdens the heart. When he started hitting, Gujarat had no idea whatsoever as to what needed to be done," he added.

Rohit Sharma was dropped by Gerald Coetzee and Kusal Mendis early in his innings. He made the most of the reprieves, smoking nine fours and four sixes during his 81-run knock that helped MI post a mammoth total.

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"Jonny Bairstow showed that it hasn't been a downgrade" - Aakash Chopra lauds MI opener's knock in IPL 2025 Eliminator win vs GT

Jonny Bairstow gave MI a flying start in the IPL 2025 Eliminator. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra praised Jonny Bairstow for ensuring that the Mumbai Indians didn't miss Ryan Rickelton in the IPL 2025 Eliminator.

"We were saying that Mumbai's important player Ryan Rickelton had gone, and Jos Buttler had gone for Gujarat, so would it be even-stevens? It didn't happen like that. Jonny Bairstow started hitting, and the attacking approach and powerplay win we saw, Jonny Bairstow showed that it hasn't been a downgrade," he said (5:00).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the England opener's explosive knock made it seem that he is an upgraded version of the South African wicketkeeper-batter.

"He batted incredibly well. He hit fours and sixes. He proved a Prasidh Krishna over to be very expensive. He eventually missed his fifty, but he was very, very good. Ryan Rickelton to Jonny Bairstow looked like an upgrade," Chopra observed.

Jonny Bairstow blasted 47 runs off 22 deliveries with the help of four fours and three sixes. He added 84 runs for the opening wicket with Rohit Sharma in just 7.2 overs to lay the platform for MI's massive total.