'Mereko mat bol...': What transpired between Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Tewatia during heated exchange in GT vs MI IPL 2025 Eliminator?

In a nail-biting IPL 2025 Eliminator, Mumbai Indians (MI) got the better of Gujarat Titans (GT) by 20 runs. The match was a tense affair, with GT fighting until the very last over. Amidst the high-pressure situation, a brief verbal exchange transpired between MI's pacer Jasprit Bumrah and GT batter Rahul Tewatia.

Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Tewatia's war of words

The incident took place during the 18th over. After missing a delivery, Tewatia appeared to utter something that caught Bumrah's attention, leading to a small confrontation between the two players. Earlier in the same over, Tewatia had hit Bumrah for a six, but the bowler quickly recovered, delivering a dot ball followed by a single. Tewatia's subsequent words prompted Bumrah to turn and give the batter a stern glare.

The stump mic heard Bumrah saying, "Mereko mat bol (Don't say it to me)".

Tewatia took no time to reply as he said:

"Main tereko nahi bol raha hoon, main khud ko bol raha (I wasn't talking to you, I was saying it to myself)."

Following Tewatia's comment, Bumrah appeared to smile and made a hand gesture towards the batter, seemingly defusing the situation.

A superb half-century from Sai Sudharsan and his partnership with Washington Sundar ultimately proved futile as the Mumbai Indians (MI) delivered a masterful death bowling performance. This effort saw the Blue and Gold franchise eliminate the 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans (GT), with a 20-run victory in Mullanpur on Friday. With this crucial win, MI will now head to Ahmedabad to face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on June 1, vying for a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3.

GT's run-chase began in the worst possible fashion, as skipper Shubman Gill was trapped leg-before-wicket by Trent Boult for just one run, leaving GT at 3/1 after only 0.4 overs. However, Sai Sudharsan and Kusal Mendis then began to build a partnership, applying pressure on MI by hitting Boult for three sixes in the third over.

As the game entered its final three overs, GT needed 45 runs to win. Jasprit Bumrah bowled the next over, and Rahul Tewatia attempted to turn the tide, moving sideways and smashing a six off the pacer. Nine runs came from the over, leaving GT with 36 runs required from the last two overs. Boult then started the penultimate over by dismissing Sherfane Rutherford for a quick 24 runs off 15 balls, which included four boundaries, putting GT at 193/5 in 18.1 overs. Despite Boult's continued delivery of excellent yorkers, Shahrukh Khan managed to hit a six on the final ball, leaving GT needing 24 runs in the thrilling final over.