On Sunday, Hardik Pandya will embark on a new chapter with the Mumbai Indians, facing Gujarat Titans, the team he led to spectacular success in the past two seasons. This intriguing matchup will not only test Pandya's leadership skills but also mark his return to Mumbai Indians, where his journey to stardom began. While the allegiances have shifted, the quest for excellence will forever remain constant.
Pandya's tenure with the Titans was notable, having secured a championship and a runners-up position. His return to Mumbai Indians comes at a critical juncture, especially following a "freak" ankle injury during the ODI World Cup last October. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, Pandya's performance will be under intense scrutiny, both as a batter and a bowler.
With Pandya gone, the leadership mantle at Gujarat Titans has fallen on the shoulders of Shubman Gill, who steps into the role with very limited captaincy experience. In the absence of their star all-rounder and star bowler in Mohammed Shami, how Shubman Gill fares as a leader will define where the Titans finish this season.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, having led Mumbai to five IPL titles, now plays under Pandya's captaincy, with high expectations for his performance, with the T20 World Cup, where will be captain, only months away. Additionally, Ishan Kishan's form will be closely watched following his decision to bypass domestic cricket for IPL preparations, a move that cost him his BCCI central contract.
Team News
The Mumbai Indians are navigating fitness challenges with key players such as Suryakumar Yadav awaiting fitness clearance, and several pacers, including Jason Behrendorff and Dilshan Madushanka, already ruled out for the season due to injuries. The 5-time champions have roped in Englishman Luke Wood, and South African U-19 pace sensation Kwena Maphaka in their stead. Even Gerald Coetzee, who was recently out with a groin injury, might not be available for the first couple of games.
For the Gujarat Titans, Rashid Khan has been declared fit after a back surgery. The news would surely come as a big boost for the Titans. Kane Williamson's experience will also come in handy, considering how the Kiwi batter was ruled out last season following a freak injury in the very first game. Mohd Shami, who took 48 wickets for the Titans in the last couple of years, however, will be the biggest miss.
Head-to-Head Record
The two teams have played one another 4 times in IPL before, with each winning 2 games apiece. The last meeting came in the second qualifier of IPL 2023, where the Titans defeated Mumbai by 62 runs.
Weather Report
It will be a hot evening at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with temperatures around the 30°C mark.
Likely Playing XIs
GT Probable XI: Shubman Gill (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson, Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Spencer Johnson, Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav
MI Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara
Full squads:
GT full squad: Shubman Gill (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Spencer Johnson, Kartik Tyagi, Josh Little, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Sushant Mishra, Darshan Nalkande, Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Wriddhiman Saha, Sai Kishore, Sai Sudharsan, M Shahrukh Khan, Vijay Shankar, BR Sharath, Mohit Sharma, Manav Suthar, Rahul Tewatia, Matthew Wade, Kane Williamson, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav.
MI full squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan, Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood, Suryakumar Yadav
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(With PTI inputs)