Daniel Sams defended 9 runs in the final over to help MI win by 5 runs.
Chasing 178 to win, the opening pair of Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill scored a century stand along with their respective half-centuries. GT had usually won games from stiffer positions than what they encountered against MI, but this time their luck ran out as big hitters Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia got run out at crucial moments.
GT needs only one win to qualify for the IPL 2022 playoffs and with Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, and David Miller, they fancied their chances, needing 66 more from the next 42 balls with eight wickets in hand.
IPL 2022: “Our batters let us down," says Hardik Pandya after GT’s loss to MI
However, what happened next was pure laziness as Hardik Pandya got run out in the 18th over and Tewatia suffered the same faith in the final over as Daniel Sams bowled a brilliant over conceding only 3 runs while defending 9 and won MI the game by 5 runs, despite bowling to David Miller.
IPL 2022: “Luck has to turn at some stage”, Rohit Sharma taking MI’s win over GT with both hands
“What about a bit of desperation. Desperation is diving for the crease in a tight run out. No dives today. Where is the desperation? Where is the desperation to get over the line and guarantee a place in the playoffs? That is the one thing I would have been saying in the dressing room. But the skipper himself didn't dive too. He was cruising,” said the former England captain on Star Sports.
On the other hand, Virender Sehwag, while speaking on Cricbuzz, said that Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia dug their own graves and GT lost a match that they should have won.
"I was thinking that had GT openers flopped, it would have been better. Usually, when they flop, they end up winning. Now today they had such a great start, the chase should have been wrapped up with 2 overs to spare. Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia dug their own grave today. They threw away a match that should have been won," said Sehwag.