Mumbai Indians’ journey in the IPL 2023 came to an end after the Rohit Sharm-led side fell to a humiliating 62-run defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 26. Following their exit from the tournament, the Mumbai franchise dropped a special Twitter post, which marked their gratitude towards the fans.
“We fought for you, we played for you. Fell short, but full of gratitude for you, Paltan,” the tweet read.
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After securing fourth place in the group table, Mumbai had to overcome Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator and they succeeded in the task. But the five-time champions could not continue the flow in the next Playoff game with Gujarat outclassing them in every department.
We fought for you, we played for you. Fell short, but full of gratitude for you, Paltan. 💙#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPL #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/fhMjNH5mdF— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 26, 2023
Despite being devastated by the last-gasp elimination, fans showed their faith in Mumbai Indians and the comment section reflected their support. They seemed hopeful of the Mumbai brigade making a roaring comeback next season.
We will come back stronger 💙💙💙— AK (@architkulk) May 26, 2023
A fan underlined the positives that Mumbai could take from this season. According to the Twitter user, this season is special for Mumbai for many reasons as some future talents like Cameron Green and Tilak Verma have got the recognition. The fan also made a special mention of Akash Madhwal and Nehal Wadhera to be the stars in the making.
Even though we lost but their is that sense of happiness which this season gave which is almost equal to the seasons when we won. A special season for many reasons.Got our next decade superstars in Tilak and Green.A star in madhwal and wadheraWe'll only get better from here on— Cricfan_ (@Cricfan45_10_17) May 26, 2023
Even after making a dismal start to their campaign, Mumbai Indians put up a tremendous fight and managed to come a long way to the Playoffs. Fans hailed the franchise for this stunning comeback.
Chin up paltan u already gave a massive performance after the first 5 matches2024 we move 💪💙 pic.twitter.com/gi9myBSvvE
— Sachin_Aravind (@ImAravnd) May 26, 2023
A user thanked captain Rohit Sharma as well as the entire Mumbai unit for giving fans “countless happy moments” this season.
Thank you so much Captain Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians for giving all us countless happy moments.🥹Rohit Sharma & Mumbai Indians Forever 💙♾️
— Tanay Vasu (@tanayvasu) May 26, 2023
Mumbai Indians endured five back-to-back defeats at the start of the season. After spending a significant at the bottom half of the table, Rohit Sharma and Co. began to climb up on the table with some commendable victories. Ultimately, Mumbai managed to find a place among the top four with 8 victories in 14 games during the group stage.
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Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss in the second Qualifier and sent Gujarat to bat first. Coming to open the innings, Shubman Gill put up an enthralling show in front of the home fans in Ahmedabad. The young opener appeared to be on a boundary-hitting spree. He smashed 7 fours and 10 sixes to score a blistering 129 off just 60 deliveries. Riding on Gill’s knock, Sai Sudarshan’s 31-ball 43 and a brief yet crucial cameo from skipper Hardik Pandya, Gujarat could reach a massive 233 runs in 20 overs.
The Mumbai batting unit fell like a deck of cards while on a chase of the mammoth target. After Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan left early for the pavilion, Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green and Tilak Verma tried to pull Mumbai out of the situation. But they could not stay longer with Gujarat bowlers putting up a dominating show. In the end, Mumbai were bundled out for 171 runs with 10 balls to spare.