It has been less than 24 hours since Mumbai Indians thumped Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator Round of IPL 2023. During that small window of the last 15-18 hours, the narrative surrounding the Mumbai side has centred on their ability to bounce back after finding themselves in the lower rungs of the points table in the first half of the season. Just that, in a tournament like the IPL, matches come thick and fast, and one loss could end Mumbai’s comeback fairytale.
The Rohit Sharma-led side would look to continue on their winning momentum when they lock horns against another formidable side in Gujarat Titans in their own den in Qualifier 2. One of the big positives for Mumbai this season has been Akash Madhwal taking over the mantle of leading the pace attack. In the absence of the injured Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai seemed to lack a spearhead. In the nick of time, Madhwal stepped up in the crucial league game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and he then bagged a memorable 5 for 5 in the match against Lucknow. His ability to move the new and old ball could be a decisive factor at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where pitches have offered some seam movement.
Also Read: Akash Madhwal – From Tennis-Ball Yorkers to IPL Star Turn
Although Mumbai seem to have tightened a screw or two in the bowling department, the batting unit still remains their key strength. Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Cameron Green have all notched up over 400 runs this season. Green, in particular, has been batting in a different zone in Mumbai’s last few games. Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera and Tim David too have made enough vital contributions during the course of the season. Rohit’s indifferent form is a concern for the Mumbai think-tank, but they would back their batters to shine bright in the knockout game.
Meanwhile, Gujarat would look to find the erase button to move forward after their loss against Chennai Super Kings. Shubman Gill has been the fulcrum of the batting line-up. He now has more than 700 runs this season, at a strike-rate just under 150. Having said that, after Gill, their next highest run-getter is Vijay Shankar with 301 runs. That indicates a fairly heavy dependence on Gill to get the big scores. They do have the required firepower lower down the order to up the ante. But it is clearly evident that their bowlers have been the cornerstone of their good show, with Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan accounting for 51 wickets between them. With 19 scalps, Mohit Sharma isn’t far behind the duo.
Venue and Time Details
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. 7.30 PM.
Head-to-head record
Mumbai have won two, with Gujarat coming out on top on one occasion.
Expected conditions
As has been observed before, the Narendra Modi Stadium has more than enough pitches to choose from – both black and red-soil decks. Generally, this season, we have witnessed red-soil pitches. The pitch could offer some seam movement and bounce. A rain shower or two was expected on Thursday, but the weather looks clear for Friday’s game.
Impact Player and Possible XIs
Mumbai might opt for the impressive Nehal Wadhera or Sandeep Warrier as the Impact Sub. On the other hand, Gujarat could look at Vijay Shankar. Josh Little is back in the GT set-up, but they might opt to continue with the same XI that took the field versus CSK.
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (C), Dasun Shanaka, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Darshan Nalkande, Noor Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Chris Jordan, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal.
Also Read: How the IPL’s Big Tent Gave us Akash Madhwal and More