Mullanpur: Among the title favourites but battling a loss of momentum, Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans will be up against the mighty Mumbai Indians, who also have issues to be addressed, in the winner-takes-all IPL Eliminator here on Friday.
It is a knockout game but both sides are used to the stage with MI being the five-time champions. Titans have made the play-offs thrice in the last four seasons, including the trophy-winning run on their debut in 2022.
However, both Gill and Hardik Pandya have a point to prove. Gill, the newly appointed India Test captain, would build up his leadership credentials immensely if Titans go all the way.
Hardik has got the love of the fans back after being booed on his return to the team last year and an IPL trophy will cement his place in the list of the fabled greats of the franchise. But in their pursuit of glory, both leaders must find a way to address the issues at hand.
Titans have more to be worried about as they have lost momentum going into the playoffs. Having conceded 465 runs in their last two defeats, they need to up their game with the ball.
Mohammed Siraj, the de facto leader of the pace battery, will need to provide breakthroughs in the powerplay.
The struggles of left-arm pacer Arshad Khan with the new ball has added pressure on the likes of Prasidh Krishna who has been the Titans’ trump card this season with 23 wickets. In addition to the shortcomings in the pace department, the ineffectiveness of spin all-rounder Rashid Khan has aggravated their bowling woes.
On the batting front, the top three, including Sai Sudharsan, Gill and Jos Buttler contributed massively to their playsoff journey.