IPL 2025: Anil Kumble opens up on Mumbai Indians’ chances of qualifying for playoff spot

Former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble has shed light on Mumbai Indians’ chances of qualifying for playoff spot. MI suffered a huge setback to their goal of finishing among the top two teams after their six-match winning streak was snapped by Gujarat Titans, who registered a thrilling three-wicket win (DLS method) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday.

GT now has 16 points under their belt along with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and both teams have three games remaining. MI, on the other hand, have 14 points with two league stage games to spare.

Kumble noted that Hardik Pandya’s team will need to win their remaining two games to get to 18 points, which could secure their top-two finish.

“18 points should secure a playoff spot. GT need to win just one of their remaining three to get there. For Mumbai, they must win both upcoming games. At 16 points, things can get tricky — you don’t want to rely on other teams’ results. From winning six in a row to losing today, MI won’t want to take it to the wire. Winning both games is a must to control their destiny,” said Kumble on JioHotstar.

Meanwhile, Deepak Chahar could not defend 15 runs in the final over against Rahul Tewatia and Gerald Coetzee. While Tewatia scored a boundary off the first ball, the South African smashed a six to put GT in control.

“The last over sealed the deal. As a bowler in that situation, your primary thought is not to concede a boundary. With the dew and low bounce, it became even easier for GT.

“When you have two batters who can clear the ropes and a mindset like Coetzee’s — he said post-match, ‘see ball, hit ball’ — it’s tough to stop. It was an outstanding game of cricket — after 38 overs, it all came down to that one over. Both teams had to reset multiple times due to interruptions, and in the end, GT held their nerve,” said Kumble.

Gujarat Titans will next take on Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Sunday.