In the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL) Eliminator, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya unveiled his strategy for their star bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who once again played well at the important times and enabled the five-time champions to defeat Gujarat Titans by 20 runs.

Before Bumrah’s return put Washington Sundar on the ground with a yorker that crushed his toe and smashed into the stumps, Sai Sudharsan and Sundar were easily getting into the 229-run goal. He gave up only nine runs in his crucial last over of the stint, which helped MI win. In a few days, Mumbai will play Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

When asked how much Bumrah is worth to the squad, Pandya made a joke about comparing his price to the cost of housing in Mumbai.

“The game was even-stevens at one point. In my opinion, the wicket improved throughout the second innings. How Rohit batted, how Jonny began, and how he made his debut for us. He was slow. All of these margins are helpful while watching crucial games.

(On Bumrah) It’s so easy: simply catch him if you think the game is getting far [away]. He’s so pricey that it’s comparable to the cost of a home in Mumbai! All I have to do is toss the ball. All I wanted was for us to retain a few additional runs at the end. Jassi’s arrival and bowling of that over were crucial, and the gap grew. In the post-match interview, Pandya said, “It will be crucial to recuperate well.”

Former MI captain Rohit Sharma seized the lead with the bat and smashed an 81 off 50 balls, while Bumrah led with the ball. Rohit helped his side to 228 in the first innings despite getting dropped thrice. Although Rohit admitted that he was fortunate, he maintained that playing well is still necessary to take advantage of the lifeline.

“I believe I would have like to get more fifty dollars, but I only have four. I am aware of how crucial it is to play the Eliminator. Once again, a whole team effort. I attempt to figure out how I can play as well as I can when I play.

“I knew I needed to take full advantage of my good fortune today. I’m happy I was able to do that and put the squad in a strong position. We were aware that the dew coming in might make things a little difficult. Unfortunately, I discovered fielders [today] despite having previously played all those shots in the game. Those catches were dropped, so I was fortunate. “You have to play well even after the drop,” Rohit stated.