Mumbai Indians (MI) have played eleven games so far. They lost four of their first five but have won all of their next six, so their early-season woes are a memory now. They have fourteen points next to their name, three games remaining to be played, and a dynamic form rallying them. Gujarat Titans (GT), too, have fourteen points in their kitty, but their campaign isn’t as contrasting when divided into halves. They lost one of their first five games and two in their next five. This does point towards a dwindled form, but there isn’t anything too worrying waiting for them beneath the surface.
A win in this game could take either of the two teams to the top spot, with 16 points. But that isn’t all this face-off will offer. If all goes well, and if neither of the teams fails to show up in their recent outfit, this game will see a down-to-the-wire competition unfolding at Wankhede.
Team Overview:
It’s nearly been the entire group stages of waiting for Gujarat Titans’ top-order to bog down once. Barring one game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad, GT’s top three have never failed to put at least 120 runs on the board for the middle order to work with. The main concern when a team is top-heavy is a lack of game time, particularly under pressure, for the middle order. In the mentioned game versus SRH, Sherfane Rutherford and Washington Sundar straightened things out pretty effectively.
But the numbers, in general, do not follow the same pattern. GT’s middle-order batters average the least among all teams this year (22.25). The way their top order has fared, it seems unlikely to hurt them in the remaining games, but in a cutthroat competition like the one GT find themselves in, every weakness gets amplified in one way or another. Especially against a bowling attack like Mumbai’s, things can escalate in the wrong direction pretty quickly.
GT’s bowling attack isn’t too far off either, and with Kagiso Rabada’s potential return, they can be neck-and-neck with Mumbai. Prasidh Krishna is already the favourite to end with the Purple Cap, with Mohammad Siraj and Sai Kishore tailing him nearby on the list.
Help from middle-order batters is what Mumbai Indians are pretty content with, as their No. 4 to No. 7 average the highest this year, 37.80. This was how they survived their losing bout at the start of the season when the top order hardly did them a solid. But now, with the top three taking their job seriously, Mumbai’s entire lineup seems to have gained posture.
However, nothing will excite MI more than their bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. Boult has taken 10 wickets in his last three games and is within striking distance of the big guys on the leading wicket-takers chart. They have Karn Sharma as well, who has taken seven wickets in the four games he has bowled so far. And then, of course, Bumrah, who is bowling the way only he can.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Mumbai and Gujarat have faced each other in six games so far, with GT dominating MI in four games and losing two against them. The last time both teams played at Wankhede was also the last time MI got the better of GT, all the way back in 2023.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Wankhede has seen 116 runs being scored in 20 overs this season, as well as 221 runs, though the 116-run target was gunned down in 12.5 overs, which checks out that the venue isn’t a torment for batters. The 200-run mark has been breached thrice this year, but only once in the second innings. Nevertheless, the surface will have plenty of runs on offer, with help for the pacers. Rain might disturb the game, but the forecast predicts nothing too threatening.
Prediction:
It’s tough to say who has better chances of winning in this game, with so many stakes and a high competition involved, but, Mumbai Indians have nearly everything it takes to take down a team like GT.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
