Gujarat's challenge facing Hardik in today's IPL match is: MI vs. GT

Gujarat's challenge facing Hardik in today's IPL match is: MI vs. GT in Ahmedabad; Shubman to debut as captain; potential starting XI

 

In the 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), two matches are set for Sunday. The initial clash between Lucknow Surgiants and Rajasthan Royals kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Following that, the five-time champion Mumbai Indians will take on the two-time finalists, the Gujarat Titans.

 

Gujarat reached the last two finals under Hardik Pandya's leadership. However, Pandya now leads Mumbai in place of Rohit Sharma. For Gujarat, Shubman Gill will lead as captain, making this his first experience in this capacity. A preview of what's to come is provided by the text.

 

Hardik to lead Mumbai against Gujarat

Mumbai Indians stand as one of the IPL's most successful teams, clinching the title five times. However, all these victories came under Rohit Sharma's leadership. Sharma has been replaced by Hardik Pandya by the management. Mumbai takes the field under Hardik's captaincy for the first time in the IPL.

 

Previously, Hardik captained the Gujarat Titans, guiding them to two consecutive finals. The group won in 2022 and finished in second place in 2023. Now, under Shubman Gill's captaincy, Gujarat embarks on its IPL journey. Gill has the responsibility of maintaining Gujarat's winning mindset.

 

Suryakumar, who scored a century against Gujarat, is sidelined today.

Suryakumar Yadav stands as Mumbai's most successful batsman against the Gujarat Titans. He scored a century against Gujarat last season, marking his maiden IPL century. However, due to injury, he will miss today's match. Following him, Ishan Kishan managed 89 runs across four matches against Gujarat.

 

Piyush Chawla leads among the bowlers, claiming five wickets in three matches. Following him, Akash Madhwal secured four wickets in just two matches.

 

Mohit Sharma has bagged 31 wickets against Mumbai.

Gujarat's Mohit Sharma has taken 31 wickets against Mumbai, the highest within the team. With three wickets remaining, he may overtake Mumbai as the IPL's top wicket-taker. Following him, Umesh Yadav from the team has also grabbed 15 wickets against Mumbai.

 

Among batsmen, Wriddhiman Saha has amassed 429 runs in 20 matches against Mumbai, the highest in the Gujarat team. Following him, Shubman Gill has notched up 409 runs in 11 matches against Mumbai.

 

Neck-and-neck competition head-to-head

Four matches have unfolded between the two teams in the IPL. Mumbai emerged victorious in two, while Gujarat claimed victory in two as well. Mumbai suffered defeats in both matches against Gujarat in Ahmedabad. Moreover, Gujarat has won 6 out of 10 matches on home turf.

 

Pitch assessment

The Narendra Modi Stadium pitch in Ahmedabad favors batsmen, offering minimal assistance to bowlers. Last season's final also unfolded on this ground, where Gujarat posted 212 runs batting first, a target Chennai successfully chased down. Ahmedabad has hosted 27 IPL matches so far, with teams batting first and chasing each other, winning 13 and 14 matches, respectively. Considering dew, the toss-winning team will likely opt to chase.

 

Weather outlook

Sunday's weather in Ahmedabad will be scorching, with no chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 and 36 degrees Celsius.

 

Potential line-up for both teams

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (captain), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Verma, Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Mohammad Nabi