Having lost twice to Gujarat Titans in the league stage of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, five-time winners Mumbai Indians will be hoping to be third-time lucky when the two sides meet in the Eliminator match at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on Friday.
It will be a do-or-die match for both teams if they have to remain in contention for the title -- Mumbai for their sixth crown, which will make them the most successful team in IPL, while Gujarat Titans are aiming to claim their second title to add to the one they bagged in 2022.
The winner of Friday's match will progress to the Qualifier 2 encounter with the Punjab Kings, the league toppers who went down to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Qualifier 1 at the same venue on Thursday.
Having finished third and fourth, respectively in the league, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians can't afford to make many mistakes as they won't get a second chance. Both GT and MI have taken contrasting paths to the playoffs -- Gujarat winning four matches in a row from their second match onwards, after opening their campaign with an 11-run defeat to Punjab Kings.
Mumbai Indians started their season with four defeats in their first five matches, including a 36-run loss to GT at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. When the two franchises from the Western region of the country met again in IPL 2025, things had taken a dramatic turn. Mumbai were on a sensational six-match winning streak and had leapfrogged several places to the top two positions in the points table. Gujarat won the match again in the rain-affected match at the Wankhede Stadium and ended Mumbai's win streak.
However, things went south for the 2022 champions at the home stretch as they ended the league phase with two successive defeats, failing to seal the top position. The twin setbacks against Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants in Ahmedabad.
Friday's clash at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur will be a battle between GT's top-order heavy batting and Mumbai's potent bowling attack led by two Gujaratis -- Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya -- and a New Zealander -- Trent Boult.
Mumbai will also be getting into the match without three key players -- opener Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch (both from South Africa) and Will Jacks of England, all of three leaving for national duty. England's Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson, and Sri Lanka ODI captain Charith Asalanka have stepped in as last-minute replacements.
How well they integrate into the playing XI will have a bearing on Friday's clash. All three are experienced players but have little to no time to acclimate and assimilate with the squad. Rickelton, who had scored 388 runs in the league stage, had forged a good opening partnership with Rohit Sharma and has also proved competent behind the wickets, while Will Jacks had made some vital contributions in the top order and also picked key wickets with his handy off-spin bowling.
On the batting front, MI have ridden the broad shoulders of Suryakumar Yadav to the playoffs as the experienced Mumbaikar has hammered 640 runs in 14 innings, while Rohit is the next best with 329 runs following Rickelton's departure. Mumbai will hope that Surya players one of his trademark knocks to help them post a big total.
Gujarat Titans have prospered on the superb batting of their top order -- especially B Sai Sudharsan (679 runs) and Shubman Gill (649). They too have lost a key batter in Jos Buttler, who has scored 538 runs in 14 matches so far. The former England captain has returned home for national duty in the West Indies series.
Kusal Mendis is likely to step into the breach, but Buttler's absence will further expose their middle order, which has not done as well as their top order. Buttler's absence will put further pressure on the likes of Sherfane Rutherford (267), Shahrukh Khan (166) and Rahul Tewatia.
On the bowling front, GT have depended on Prasidh Krishna (23 wickets), Sai Kishore (17), and Mohd Siraj (15), though their star spinner Rashid Khan has not been as successful as he would have liked.
Overall, it is expected to be a humdinger of a clash with the pitch at the New PCA Stadium likely to play a key role in the outcome.
Both teams have a similar recent record, as they have lost two and won three of their last five matches. Overall, GT hold an edge having won five of their seven clashes.
Probable playing XIs:
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Gerald Coetzee, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Charith Asalanka, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
