 "Mumbai Indians' first match jinx continues in the IPL")
Gujarat Titans made an auspicious start under Shubman Gill’s leadership as they beat Mumbai Indians by six runs in Ahmedabad to start their Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Five-time IPL champions MI have now not won their opening IPL fixture since 2012!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Kolkata Knight Riders and GT have been Mumbai’s opponents since 2012 and have beaten them in the IPL opener each time. The last time Mumbai had started a season with a win was against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2012 when they won by eight wickets. Incidentally, that was part of Mumbai’s four straight years of positive starts. In the inaugural season of the cash-rich league, MI were beaten by RCB.
A closer look at the last 12 straight defeats suggest that in all but four seasons, MI had batted first and failed to defend.
Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) was at his usual best in his first IPL match in two years, to help restrict Gujarat Titans to 168/6. But Bumrah’s effort was not enough as batters like Tilak Varma and MI skipper Hardik Pandya failed to complement his brilliance.
MI finished on 162/9 as things went downhill when all they needed were 43 runs off last five overs with seven wickets in hand.
Spinners Rashid Khan (0/23) and R Sai Kishore (1/24) gave away very little with the ball, veteran Mohit Sharma (2/32) used his variations with different types of slower deliveries to turn the course of the match.
Spencer Joshnson (2/25) and Umesh Yadav (2/32) were brilliant bowling the 19th and 20th over as Hardik Pandya relegated himself to No. 7 in the batting order. He did hit a six and four in the last over but Umesh had the last laugh.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMumbai Indians in opening IPL matches:
IPL 2024: GT beat MI by 6 runs
IPL 2023: RCB beat MI by 8 wickets
IPL 2022: DC beat MI by 4 wickets
IPL 2021: RCB beat MI by 2 wickets
IPL 2020: CSK beat MI by 5 wickets
IPL 2019: DC beat MI by 37 runs
IPL 2018: CSK beat MI by 1 wicket
IPL 2017: RPS beat MI by 7 wickets
IPL 2016: RPS beat MI by 9 wickets
IPL 2015: KKR beat MI by 7 wickets
IPL 2014: KKR beat MI by 41 runs
IPL 2013: RCB beat MI by 2 runs
IPL 2012: MI beat CSK by 8 wickets
IPL 2011: MI beat DC by 8 wickets
IPL 2010: MI beat RR by 4 runs
IPL 2009: MI beat CSK by 19 runs
IPL 2008: RCB beat MI by 5 wickets
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