Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians face off in search of their first points in IPL 2025, with Hardik Pandya returning to his former home ground in Ahmedabad.
Big Picture – Can Rashid Khan Bounce Back?
Hardik Pandya faced a harsh reception from Ahmedabad fans last season when he led MI against his former team, Gujarat Titans (GT). Now, he returns to the Narendra Modi Stadium for his first match of IPL 2025 after missing MI’s opening game against Chennai Super Kings due to an over-rate penalty.
Pandya’s comeback is expected to bolster MI’s balance and experience, which they lacked against CSK. Meanwhile, GT’s key player Rashid Khan will be looking to recover from a tough outing against Punjab Kings, where he conceded 48 runs in four overs.
Team News and Probable XI
Gujarat Titans (Probable XI):
- Shubman Gill (capt), 2. Sai Sudharsan, 3. Jos Buttler (wk), 4. Sherfane Rutherford, 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Rashid Khan, 8. Arshad Khan, 9. R Sai Kishore, 10. Kagiso Rabada, 11. Mohammed Siraj, 12. Prasidh Krishna.
GT might struggle to accommodate Washington Sundar, given Rashid Khan’s irreplaceable role and the impressive performance of R Sai Kishore against PBKS.
Mumbai Indians (Probable XI):
- Rohit Sharma, 2. Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3. Will Jacks, 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Hardik Pandya (capt), 7. Naman Dhir, 8. Mitchell Santner, 9. Deepak Chahar, 10. Trent Boult, 11. Satyanarayana Raju, 12. Vignesh Puthur.
With Pandya returning, MI is likely to make only one change, replacing Robin Minz. Left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur, who impressed on debut, could be a key Impact Sub option.
In Focus – Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav
Gill showed an aggressive intent in GT’s chase against PBKS, smashing 33 off 14 balls. His approach in this match, particularly if GT bats first, could be crucial.
Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, has struggled for runs in recent T20 games, with only 119 runs in his last 10 innings. A good knock in Ahmedabad could help him regain his form.
Pitch and Conditions
Ahmedabad’s pitch is expected to be flat and favor batters. With temperatures expected to cool from 38°C in the afternoon to the mid-20s in the evening, dew could play a major role, making chasing advantageous. Six of the eight games at this venue in IPL 2024 were won by the team batting second.
Key Stats
- Jos Buttler batted at No. 3 for just the second time in 107 IPL innings against PBKS, a role he might continue.
- Rashid Khan remains one of the IPL’s most effective bowlers despite an expensive 2023 and 2024.
- Rohit Sharma’s duck against CSK was his 18th in IPL history, the second-most among players with 100+ dismissals in the tournament.
- Mohammed Siraj is yet to dismiss Rohit in T20s; the MI captain has scored 74 runs off him in 10 innings.
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