Gill praised Prasidh’s game-winning spell by saying, “You know the match is almost done.”

Since 2022, Prasidh Krishna had not participated in any IPL matches. His pace, height, and ability to strike the middle of the pitch hard and challenge batters with his natural variations made him appear locked-in as a bowler India would utilise in the middle overs of a white-ball match at one time. But he had to stay on the sidelines due to ailments.

Prasidh entered the game for a new team in his second IPL 2025 match when the Mumbai Indians (MI) were 97 for 2, requiring 100 runs in the final 54 balls.

“I was itching to bowl actually,” he stated during the presentation held after the game. “The tenth over was it. I was simply thinking that, in a T20 match, I haven’t actually waited that long before bowling, but it all paid off.

“We watched the first inning unfold from our perch on top. We could infer that balls and cutters into the wicket were performing well. I simply kept it in mind and made sure to use the length everytime I got to bowl.

“I assumed [slower balls] were functioning effectively. I wasn’t very interested in trying anything new or testing the speed gun. I simply wanted to keep things straightforward. I was aware of the scoreboard and realised that every single ball and over mattered greatly. I simply tried to keep things straightforward.

Although Prasidh isn’t known for his variations, they worked so well in this instance that he bowled his four overs in a row, taking out MI’s top two scores, Tilak Varma for 39 off 36 and Suryakumar Yadav for 48 off 28. Player of the Match went to him.

“I think he did more than pretty well,” Shubman Gill, the captain of Prasidh’s Gujarat Titans (GT), stated during the press conference. “I think his bowling style impacted the game for us, and he did a very great job for us to be able to come in like that under pressure. He gave up about 14 runs [18], and I believe he was hit for a couple of boundaries in the final over. He conceded perhaps six or seven runs in the opening three overs. When the opponent is pursuing 200 [197 to win] in a Twenty20 contest, you know the game is nearly over.

There are two types of pitches in Ahmedabad, GT’s home field: red soil and black dirt. Because black-soil pitches are often a little slower and lower than their red-soil counterparts, Gill and his team management decided to play this game on one.

“I thought it was just good thinking of using home tactics [to] your advantage,” MI quick Trent Boult stated at the post-event press conference. “The host team should undoubtedly have an advantage. We were aware that the wicket was made of black earth, but we failed to adapt well enough.

“Clearly, there is a distinction. Naturally, wankhede is usually red soil. The opposition’s strategies were sound. It clearly makes things easier if you have the options to accomplish it. However, I doubt we’ll use that as a justification. Our team includes international players as well as players who have played on various kinds of wickets throughout the nation. I don’t want to give away anything about tonight’s game. They demonstrated to us how to bowl on that wicket as they fought their way to a respectable score. Thus, they deserve praise.

Gill gave an explanation of GT’s actions.

The way the game is going, you know, we see 250 to 240 runs [being scored], and I believe that each team has its own strengths and preferred style of playing a particular kind of cricket. This type of wicket, in my opinion, suits our batting and bowling and overall strength of our team more than on the red soil.

“In order to provide the bowlers with something and ensure that the game is fair, we occasionally have to provide that cushion. We just don’t want all the games to be, you know, 240 to 250 runs. I believe that cricket’s skill is diminished if there are games with such high scores.