Who said what - top 5 expert reactions on GT's stunning last ball win vs MI in IPL 2025 ft. Sunil Gavaskar 

The Gujarat Titans (GT) pulled off a stunning last-ball three-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, May 6. The Shubman Gill-led side battled several rain breaks, and DLS par scores to secure the points that takes them to the top of the table, on the brink of playoffs qualifications.

The in-form GT bowling unit put in a tight display yet again to subdue the imperious MI batting unit. Mohammed Siraj and Arshad Khan were influential with the new ball, while Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan controlled the middle overs.

GT's formidable top three were tested as Sai Sudharsan was dismissed in the second over while Jos Buttler also failed to make an impact. Shubman Gill held one end, while valuable cameos by Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, and Gerald Coetzee got the side over the line.

On that note, let us take a look at five expert reactions on GT's stunning last-ball win vs MI in IPL 2025.

#1 Sunil Gavaskar

The former India cricketer was not pleased with MI's strategy to hand Deepak Chahar the final over of the contest. With 15 runs required off the last six balls, and the pair of Bumrah and Boult being done with their spells, the choice came down to Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya.

Chahar was far from convincing after being handed the task. He failed to land the yorker on multiple occasions, which went for boundaries. The pacer also bowled a no-ball which turned the tide in the dying moments.

"So with that, with one over left, I would have thought that - because, let's face it, also, you know, in commentary we heard that Deepak Chahar really hasn't bowled in the final 5 overs. This is probably, you know, one of those rare occasions, so he, you know, he's not used to bowling in the final overs. So I think that is where the... uh... but, I mean, the game could have changed," Gavaskar said on Star Sports (via India Today).

"I think the fact that they took their time with the over - so they had to penalise one field. So these things are things that can come in and, you know, cost you a place in the playoffs. And that is the reason why I think Mumbai Indians really have to sit down and talk about that," he added.

#2 Aakash Chopra

The former India batter also highlighted MI's choice for the final over, given how Chahar's skill set were not suitable for that role. The right-arm pacer has largely operated with the new ball for several years now, making the most of the early movement to help his side with breakthroughs in the powerplay.

"The question was whether Hardik should have bowled the last over. Why was it given to Deepak Chahar? I would have loved him (Hardik) to bowl. There are two or three big reasons for that. If man-to-man marking is done, who bowls more overs at the death? It's not Deepak Chahar," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"That was a tactical mistake from the Mumbai camp because there are many analysts and knowledgeable people in the Mumbai camp. So it would have been a collective decision. I thought they just miscalculated it. Deepak Chahar could have bowled better, but I think Hardik made a mistake, and they lost crucial two points," Chopra elaborated.

#3 Mohammad Kaif

The former India batter praised MI's bowling effort, remarking that they made GT work hard during the run chase. He also highlighted that the hosts largely subdued GT's top-order, marking the first instance this season where neither of them have scored a fifty.

"MI bowled really well, when have you seen a match getting trapped in a 155-run chase at the Wankhede? The match went till the last ball. MI dismissed the key GT batters in Sudarshan, Gill, and Buttler, and then they lost the match. So, they were favorites at one stage, they were ahead in the contest when the rain came," Kaif said on Star Sports.

#4 Abhinav Mukund

The former opening batter opined that MI could not control the middle overs with the ball while defending the score. The MI pace trio, especially Trent Boult, were influential with the new ball to restrict GT to just 29 runs in the powerplay.

However, with the threat of rain looming, GT cranked up the scoring to get ahead of the DLS score. While the visitors had R Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan to control the middle overs, MI could not get a similar effect due to Santner being injured, and Will Jacks and Karn Sharma being nullified by the left-handed Sherfane Rutherford.

"I felt they just let the game drift a little bit in that middle phase. Because they have a set plan - like how Gujarat Titans have a set plan with their top three - when it comes to their bowling, they like using Bumrah to the back end of the powerplay, then maybe one in the middle overs and then maybe one at the death, or maybe even two at the death," Mukund said on ESPN Cricinfo.

"They were forced to change the plan because of Gujarat Titans. But if you see the number of runs that were leaked in between the Bumrah overs - so Bumrah went three and five, and then you had that sudden surge of 37 in three overs [six to eight]. And then another surge [28 runs in overs 13 and 14] before Bumrah did eventually come back on. So… I know, cheat code and all of that, but you've got to manage your other bowlers as well. They got lucky with Ashwani Kumar, 2 for 28 in four," he elaborated.

#5 Adam Gilchrist

The former Australia wicket-keeper criticised MI's shot selection in the first innings. He blamed the batters for their poor choices, which led to an unimpressive total to defend for the bowlers. Seven of the eight MI wickets to fall were caught dismissals, as the batters faltered in their execution.

In fact, five of the top seven failed to register double-figures, with each of them perishing while trying to go big.

"I think a few poor options from the MI batters on a couple of occasions, couple of them would like to change their mind on the stroke that they played at the time, if they could have their time again. That little flurry in the end gives MI something, looked like for a moment that it would be 125 or 130," Gilchrist said on Cricbuzz.

MI are next scheduled to travel to Dharamsala to face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) while GT also travel north of the country to face the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitely Stadium.