Hardik Pandya is the one who knows his opposite number’s trade secrets in Ahmedabad, the land of traders.
Hardik, a Mumbai Indians product, has established himself as a successful leader with Gujarat Titans, leading them to back-to-back playoff appearances in just two seasons. But will that be enough to stop the Mumbai Indians, who are on the offensive and have given up after suffering their own losses and making yet another push to the IPL championship game?
How significant would those trade secrets be in Qualifier 2 on Friday? After all, the Mumbai Indians have historically given their greatest performance in the playoffs, winning 9 out of 10 times. They are also the only group to have twice defeated Gujarat Titans. Most significantly, despite a rocky start and the loss of key players, they find themselves here in the season’s penultimate matchup versus the league leaders.
Who truly has the upper hand?
Only a week prior, after Mumbai Indians’ league-phase defeat to Lucknow Super Giants, bowling coach Shane Bond was furious and unwilling to conceal his annoyance. He grumbled that the bowlers weren’t following their game plans. He refused to accept responsibility for the reality that their attack was hindered by the absence of their two most crucial investments, Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah.
Their younger generation has arrived. Although Akash Madhwal can’t replace Bumrah and Archer, the Mumbai Indians’ anxieties have been somewhat reduced by his dramatic progress. He has made it possible for the international pacers Jason Behrendorff and Chris Jordan to freely perform their more specialist roles thanks to his economy rates of 7.25 and 7.26 in the powerplay and death overs, respectively.
The five-time champions have been able to create a squad that can chase down high totals and bowl out opponents, much like the Titans, by adding the batting muscle of Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera to their lineup.
If MI’s underrated opening bowlers, who have substantially improved in the second half of the league, are able to dismiss the top order early, they might pose a tough challenge. The Pacers have had more success in Ahmedabad than any other venue this season.
Both sides have the tools and the self-assurance to win under pressure. Both teams like to project an air of composure. It has been marked and promised as a live Friday blockbuster.
When: March 26th, 2023 at 7:30 IST
Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, between the Gujarat Titans and the Mumbai Indians
What to anticipate Most likely, the temperature will remain around the 40s. Both teams would aim to pursue a fast track with many scoring possibilities, especially considering their strong success percentage while batting second. However, dew is not anticipated to have a significant impact.
Mumbai Indians lead Gujarat Titans 2-1 head-to-head.
View of the team:
Gujarat Titans:
Mohammed Shami will be the main player in the Powerplay, according to strategies and matchups. The opening batsmen for Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, have struggled to score frequently against the seamer, with strike rates of 118.52 and 105.56 in the IPL, respectively.
Rahul Tewatia, Shubman Gill, David Miller, Dasun Shanaka, Rashid Khan, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph/Noor Ahmed/Josh Little, Mohammed Shami, and Mohit Sharma comprise the probable XII.
Mumbai Indians:
Suryakumar Yadav will hold the key in the middle order in terms of strategies and matchups. Rashid Khan, who has often played quite well against MI, is one of the few IPL hitters who has not been removed. In their 47-ball duel, Surya scored 67 runs against the leggie. The middle-order batsmen for GT, however, have had trouble against left-arm orthodox spin, with Hardik, Shankar, Miller, and Tewatia hitting at a strike rate of less than 120.
Tim David, Chris Jordan, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Jason Behrendorff, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, and Ishan Kishan comprise the probable XII.
You Should Know:
- Even though David Miller only had one fifty against the Mumbai Indians, he still had over 140 strikes at an average of 40 versus MI. This season in Ahmedabad, he has scored at a strike rate of 167.74 and an average of 41.6.
- In their 54-ball match-up, Ishan Kishan has never been dismissed by Mohammed Shami in the IPL.
- Shubman Gill now ranks second among Indian players in the IPL with 722 runs, trailing only Virat Kohli’s 973 runs from IPL 2016. Additionally, he needs nine runs to steal the Orange Cap from Faf du Plessis. If he accomplishes that, he will become the sixth Indian to record the most runs scored within a season.