Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad at 7.30 pm
What to expect
Two formidable batting line-ups, both capable of breaching the 200-run mark, provided Ahmedabad serves up another belter. With both teams coming off defeats in their opening fixtures, they will be desperate to get their campaign back on track.
Additionally, former title-winning captain Hardik Pandya will return in Mumbai colours for his first game of the 2025 IPL season. Once a hero for GT fans, he was met with boos when he travelled to Ahmedabad last season. His presence might just be the missing piece for MI while proving to be a thorn for GT and their supporters.
Key battle
Several intriguing matchups will unfold on the pitch. Rohit Sharma will take on the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada. A struggling Suryakumar Yadav will face Rashid Khan, who had his own share of troubles in the opening fixture.
Trent Boult will look to get the better of Shubman Gill, while the new sensation Vignesh Puthur and Mitchell Santner will be up against the firepower of Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford.
GT Likely XI
A bowling-heavy side, GT nearly pulled off a massive chase against PBKS and will once again rely on their top four batters to set the tone. There are no injury concerns for this game, but death bowling remains a big worry. Washington Sundar might get the nod ahead of Arshad Khan.
Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
Impact sub: Sai Kishore/Glenn Phillips
MI Likely XI
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians have a full-strength squad. Captain Hardik Pandya will return, bringing balance to the side, and is expected to replace Robin Minz.
Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Satyanarayana Raju
Impact sub: Vignesh Puthur
Pitch and weather
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium is expected to be another batting paradise, potentially leading to a high-scoring contest. Rain is not forecast, but dew could play a crucial role at the toss.
The average score at this venue remains around 200. Pacers might find some early movement, but the surface tends to slow down as the match progresses.
Chasing is likely to be the preferred option, given that GT nearly hunted down PBKS’ mammoth 243 in their last outing. Additionally, six of the eight IPL 2024 matches at this venue were won by the team batting second.
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