Was Kusal Mendis' poor outing vs MI a reason for GT's IPL 2025 exit?

In a high-stakes IPL 2025 Eliminator clash at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on May 30, Gujarat Titans took on Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately for the Titans, Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis had a difficult evening after being drafted in as a replacement for Jos Buttler. Not a good day on the field for Mendis
Fielding first, Mendis struggled behind the stumps, dropping two crucial catches that let Mumbai stars Rohit Sharma (81) and Suryakumar Yadav (33) off the hook, costly errors that proved significant in the match's context. His troubles continued with the bat during Gujarat's daunting chase of 229 runs.
Kusal Mendis is nowhere near IPL quality, let alone a replacement for Jos Buttler. Two dropped catches, then gets out hit wicket in a clutch game?That's schoolboy stuff. How can GT trust someone this reckless on the big stage? This isn't just poor — it's embarrassing. ???? #GTvsMI pic.twitter.com/keiUFZ17a7
— Kavan Rana (@kavanrana) May 30, 2025
Mendis failing to make a mark with the bat vs MI
After the early dismissal of Shubman Gill, Mendis stepped onto the crease but couldn't change his fortunes. Already under pressure due to his earlier fielding lapses, he was dismissed hit wicket off Mitchell Santner's bowling, after his foot slipped and knocked over the stumps. He managed only 20 runs from 10 balls before departing.
Mumbai Indians dominated the first innings, fueled by Rohit Sharma's commanding 81 and Jonny Bairstow's quickfire 47. Support came from Suryakumar Yadav (33), along with Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya contributing 25 and an unbeaten 22 runs respectively, guiding MI to a formidable 228-run total.
For Gujarat Titans, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudharsan stood out with two wickets apiece, while Mohammed Siraj chipped in with one. Now, Gujarat faces the tough challenge of chasing 229 runs to secure a place in Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings and keep their IPL 2025 title hopes alive.

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