Among the title favourites but battling a loss of momentum, Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans will be up against the mighty Mumbai Indians in the winner-takes-all IPL Eliminator at the New PCA Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Friday.
It is a knockout game, but both sides are used to the stage with Mumbai Indians being the five-time champions. Titans have made it to the playoffs thrice in the last four seasons, including the trophy-winning run on their debut in 2022. However, both Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya have a point to prove. Gill, the newly appointed India Test captain, would build up his leadership credentials immensely if Titans go all the way.
Hardik has got the love of the fans back after being booed on his return to the team last year, and an IPL trophy will cement his place in the list of the fabled greats of the franchise. But in their pursuit of glory, both leaders must find a way to address the issues at hand. Titans have more to worry about as they have lost momentum going into the playoffs. Having conceded 465 runs in their last two defeats, they need to up their game with the ball. Mohammed Siraj, the de facto leader of the pace battery, will need to provide breakthroughs in the power play.
The struggles of left-arm pacer Arshad Khan with the new ball has added pressure on the likes of Prasidh Krishna, who has been the Titans’ trump card this season with 23 wickets. In addition to the shortcomings in the pace department, the ineffectiveness of spin all-rounder Rashid Khan has aggravated their bowling woes. On the batting front, the top three, including Sai Sudharsan, Gill and Jos Buttler, contributed massively to their playoff journey. Considering that, the absence of Buttler, who left for national duty after the league stage, is bound to be felt.
Kusal Mendis has been brought in Buttler’s place, but it remains to be seen if he can inspire the same level of confidence. The middle-order comprising Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford is not the most reliable, making Titans vulnerable against Mumbai Indians. Like Titans, Mumbai Indians too have been impacted by the loss of foreign players. Ryan Rickelton had done a fine job for them at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma, but the South African has now reported for national duty. The same goes for English batter Will Jacks.
Out of favour England batter Jonny Bairstow is one of the replacement players for Mumbai Indians alongside Richard Gleeson and Charith Asalanka. Bairstow could open with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. The Englishman would surely be expecting to start the game, having agreed to join the franchise in the middle of the domestic season back home.
The quiet run of Titak Varma is another concern facing the team. Suryakumar Yadav has been doing the heavy lifting in the batting department with a record 640 runs in a season. In case he fails, Mumbai Indians will have a real task at hand. Batting first, the pace at which Mumbai batters score has also been questioned and that is another area Hardik will have to focus on. However, their strong bowling attack always poses a bigger threat to the opposition.
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