Latest news with #KusalMendis
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Gujarat Titans batter's bizarre dismissal leaves fans shocked
Gujarat Titans' Kusal Mendis being dismissed hit wicket during the IPL 2025 Eliminator (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) A dramatic hit-wicket dismissal to Kusal Mendis stole the spotlight in Mullanpur as Mumbai Indians edged Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in a record-breaking IPL 2025 Eliminator that saw a staggering 436 runs scored—the most in any IPL playoff. Chasing MI's daunting 228/5, GT's early hopes were pinned on Mendis and Sai Sudharsan after Shubman Gill fell cheaply. The Sri Lankan looked in rhythm, hammering two sixes and a four in a brief 10-ball stay. But just as the 64-run stand with Sudharsan was blossoming, chaos struck. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Facing Mitchell Santner , Mendis lost his balance attempting a forceful stroke and accidentally trod onto his stumps, getting out hit wicket for 20. The moment was surreal—GT were 67/2 in 6.2 overs and cruising—until that lapse shifted the game's tone. Sai Sudharsan continued valiantly with his sixth fifty of the season, while Washington Sundar's 48 kept GT in touch. But with wickets falling at regular intervals, and Sudharsan bowled in the 16th over, GT's chase slowly unravelled. 'I don't want to be a one-season wonder': Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh MI's bowlers held their nerve in the death overs despite heavy dew. Debutant Richard Gleeson delivered under pressure, while Ashwani Kumar closed out the match with 24 required off the final over. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? Earlier, Rohit Sharma 's elegant 81 and Jonny Bairstow's explosive 47 on debut powered MI to their imposing total. Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya added fireworks at the finish. GT's elimination was sealed by their lapses—none more symbolic than Mendis' freak hit-wicket—as Mumbai advanced to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
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 — 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.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Hit wicket drama! Kusal Mendis hits own stumps in IPL 2025 eliminator; fans question GT loyalty, say 'check his bank account'
Heading into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Playoffs, both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) faced key absences—especially GT, who were without their star batter Jos Buttler. The English wicketkeeper-batter, who scored over 500 runs during the league stage, had to leave for national duties. In his place, Sri Lankan cricketer Kusal Mendis joined the squad, leaving the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 to play as GT's replacement. Given a chance in the Eliminator at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, things didn't go Mendis's way from the start. After multiple misfields and dropping catches of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, he added to his woes by making a costly mistake with the bat—getting out hit wicket after stepping onto his own stumps. Fans not trusting Kusal Mendis's loyalty Soon after his bizarre dismissal, many on social media—especially on X (formerly known as Twitter)—began questioning Kusal Mendis's loyalty to GT. Some even joked that his bank accounts should be checked to see if he received anything "extra" from the MI owners. These comments come amid ongoing chatter about alleged bias, with fans accusing umpires of being influenced by MI and making questionable decisions in their favour. One said, "Is Kusal Mendis really playing for GT I doubt." Is Kusal Mendis really playing for GT I doubt 🧐 #GTvsMI Another said, "Somebody check bank account of Kusal Mendis.. it's getting too obvious now." Somebody check bank account of kusal mendis.. it's getting too obvious now 😭 One wrote, "It seems Kusal Mendis was not just paid by GT for the Playoffs but also the Ambanis." It seems Kusal Mendis was not just paid by GT for the Playoffs but also the Ambanis ☠️ Another wrote, "Did Mahela Jaywardena asked for a favour from Kusal Mendis." Did Mahela Jaywardena asked for a favour from Kusal Mendis GT vs MI: Teams Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard GleesonImpact Subs: Krishnan Shrijith, Raghu Sharma, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley. Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis(w), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh KrishnaImpact Subs: Sherfane Rutherford, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Jayant Yadav, Arshad Khan.
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Who Is Kusal Mendis? GT's Replacement For Buttler Who Dropped Rohit Sharma, SKY
Last Updated: Kusal Mendis had a debut to forget in the IPL as he dropped two big chances to dismiss Rohit Sharma early into his innings. It was definitely not a debut to remember for the Sri Lankan international, Kusal Mendis, who was asked to replace the in-form English keeper, Jos Buttler, for the playoff stages of the Indian Premier League 2025 edition. In the first eliminator clash against the Gujarat Titans at the Mullanpur Stadium in Mohali, Mendis made two big mistakes, which could prove to be costly for the franchise. Mendis was roped in as Jos Buttler's replacement after the latter had to leave due to England's upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies at home. In turn, the Sri Lankan was roped in for Rs 75 Lakh. He had a debut to forget in the IPL as he dropped two big chances to dismiss Rohit Sharma early into his innings. These drops proved to be costly as an Indian veteran went on to score 81 runs off 50 deliveries to push Mumbai Indians over the 200-run mark. Rohit was dropped twice during the powerplay, allowing the veteran to capitalize on the opposition's fielding errors. First, Gerald Coetzee dropped him in the deep, and then Kusal Mendis, on his GT debut, mishandled a straightforward catch behind the stumps off Mohammed Siraj. It was Bairstow (47 off 22) who provided the Mumbai Indians with momentum in the powerplay through some superb hitting. The out-of-favor England batter, who joined the Mumbai Indians shortly after scoring consecutive fifties in county cricket for Yorkshire, took his chances early and was well rewarded. He targeted the Titans' best pacer of the season, Prasidh Krishna, smashing him for 26 runs in the fourth over, including three sixes. The first six was a pull shot that cleared the square leg fence effortlessly, followed by a clean hit down the ground. Rohit also joined the action when spinner Sai Kishore was introduced during the powerplay. The former MI captain executed the sweep shot perfectly, collecting two fours and a massive six, bringing his team to 79 for no loss in six overs, their best powerplay of the season. The top order's confidence rubbed off on Tilak Varma (25 off 11), who has had an off-season by his standards. He hit three sixes in quick succession before falling to Siraj. Skipper Hardik Pandya targeted Coetzee for a couple of sixes in the 20th over, pushing the total past Considering Mumbai Indians' formidable bowling unit, the Titans have a challenging task ahead. For the third consecutive innings, the opposition team managed to score more than 225 runs against the Titans. (with PTI Inputs) First Published:
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
GT vs MI: Rohit Sharma survives twice—fans hope for a classic 'Hitman' knock in Eliminator clash
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) became the first team to secure a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final after convincingly defeating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 8 wickets in their own backyard last night. Attention then shifted to the Eliminator, held at the same venue—the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh—where fans were eager to see veteran batter Rohit Sharma rise to the occasion and deliver a big knock, something that has eluded him for some time. However, while he looked sketchy in the high-stakes clash between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Mumbai Indians (MI), the 'Hitman' got lucky twice. He handed an early lifeline in the second over when Gerald Coetzee dropped a sitter off Prasidh Krishna's delivery with the batter on just 4 runs. He was granted another reprieve at 12 runs, as wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis failed to grab an edge off Mohammed Siraj's bowling. Fans react At the end of the Powerplay, MI had scored 79 without losing a wicket. Many on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to react to the Indian cricket star's two lifelines. Some are hoping for a big knock from the opening batter, while others have taken to sharing memes and the usual jokes about MI owners, the Ambanis, supposedly having a hand in the "dropped catches." One said, "Dropped 2 easy catches of Rohit Sharma in is back." Dropped 2 easy catches of Rohit Sharma in Eliminator Ambani is back 🔥 #MIvsGT #GTvsMI Another said, "You can't beat Umpire Indians man. Dropped Rohit Sharma's easy catch 2 times." You can't beat Umpire Indians man 💔Dropped Rohit Sharma's easy catch 2 times#GRvsMI #MumbaiIndians #bairstow #RohitSharma𓃵 One wrote, "Rohit Sharma dropped twice! PERFECT SCRIPT by JAY SHAH." Rohit Sharma dropped twice!PERFECT SCRIPT by JAY SHAH#MIvsGT Another wrote, "2 Catches were Dropped in just 10 runs. What a big fraud player Rohit Sharma is." 2 Catches were Dropped in just 10 runs. What a big fraud player Rohit Sharma is 😭Bro worked very hard the whole day in the nets for the eliminator.#MIvsGT #RohitSharma More about GT vs MI Heading into the Playoffs, both teams faced key absences. MI have lost their overseas players Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks, while GT were without their star batter Jos Buttler, who scored over 500 runs during the league stage. MI handed debut caps to Jonny Bairstow, Richard Gleeson and Raj Angad Bawa while Kusal Mendis came in for Buttler and Washington Sundar for Arshad Khan. GT vs MI: Teams Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson Impact Subs: Krishnan Shrijith, Raghu Sharma, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley. Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis(w), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Impact Subs: Sherfane Rutherford, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Jayant Yadav, Arshad Khan.
