Hardik, Rohit and Gill in focus as Mumbai Indians visit Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans begin their third IPL season against the man who led them to tremendous success in the first two
Shashank Kishore
23-Mar-2024
Match details
Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
Ahmedabad, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)
Ahmedabad, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)
Big Picture: Hardik, Rohit and a new Titans captain
Two seasons ago, the man Mumbai Indians had discovered and help develop into one of the world's best allrounders left them to lead a new IPL franchise in his home state. And Hardik Pandya enjoyed tremendous success as a first-time captain, leading Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022 and the final in 2023. And in both seasons, they had finished top of the points table at the end of the league stage.
Now, he returns to Ahmedabad as captain of Mumbai, after being the target of perhaps the most significant pre-auction player trade in IPL history. Because Hardik didn't just go back to the franchise that forged him; he went back and replaced a five-time title winner as their leader. And the dynamics between him and Rohit Sharma on the field will come under intense scrutiny on Sunday night.
After Hardik's departure, the Titans had to nominate a new captain too, and the obvious candidate was Shubman Gill, the highest run-scorer of last season. But Gill, like the captain he succeeded, has very little leadership experience: he's led his state side Punjab in only two T20s. Will another fledgling captain take flight in the Titans set-up?
While Titans have been in the finals in the previous two seasons, Mumbai have not qualified for one since 2020, when they won their fifth title. It is the longest period they have had to endure without a trophy since 2013.
Team news: No SKY for MI
Mumbai's No. 3 Suryakumar Yadav is still recovering from ankle surgery at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, while two of their overseas quicks Jason Behrendorff and Dilshan Madushanka have been ruled out of the season with injuries. Gerald Coetzee is also not match fit to play against Titans. Mumbai's overseas quicks available for selection are the replacement players: England's Luke Wood and South Africa's teen sensation Kwena Maphaka.
Titans are without the top wicket-taker from last season, Mohammed Shami, who is also recovering from ankle surgery. Jharkhand wicketkeeper Robin Minz, who was bought by Titans for INR 3.6 crore, was also ruled out of the season due to injuries suffered in a bike accident. Tamil Nadu's Sandeep Warrier and Karnataka's BR Sharath were named as replacements. Matthew Wade hasn't arrived yet for Titans as he is playing the Sheffield Shield final in Australia.
Impact Player Strategy
Titans will likely swap No. 3 batter Sai Sudharsan and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore as impact players depending on when they bat and bowl. They will have choose between Kane Williamson, who offers experience in the middle order, and Afghanistan allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who offers a sixth bowling option, as their fourth overseas player.
Possible XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Azmatullah Omarzai/Kane Williamson, 5 David Miller, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Spencer Johnson, 11 Mohit Sharma, 12 R Sai Kishore
Mumbai's injuries have unsettled what was a pretty settled first XI. Tim David is the only lock-in overseas player. They can choose between allrounders Romario Shepherd/Mohammad Nabi for the second spot, fast bowlers Nuwan Thushara, Mphaka, and Wood for the third, while Dewald Brevis could come in as an impact player to strengthen the batting if needed.
Possible XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Tim David, 7 Romario Shepherd/Mohammad Nabi, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Nuwan Thushara/Kwena Mphaka/Luke Wood, 11 Kumar Kartikeya/Akash Madhwal, 12 Dewald Brevis
Stats that matter
- Rohit has been dismissed in the powerplay 20 times in his last 30 IPL innings.
- Mumbai scored at 9.1 in the middle overs in IPL 2023 largely due to Suryakumar scoring at 183 in this phase. Can someone else match that in his absence?
- Titans scored at a strike rate of 156 against deliveries faster than 140kph last season - the highest for any team.
Pitch and conditions
The pitch for the game had a nice sheen under lights, and is expected to have good bounce and carry. Dew hasn't been a factor in the evening, which means the team bowling second won't be at a massive disadvantage. The weather is expected to be hot, with temperatures touching 38 degrees centigrade already.
Quotes
"I'd leave it to you guys to decide. Hopefully you will find out at the end of the season."
Shubman Gill when asked what kind of a captain he'd want to be for Titans
Shubman Gill when asked what kind of a captain he'd want to be for Titans
"As a senior player, having gained international experience, there's bigger responsibility on me this season."
Mumbai batter Tilak Varma
Mumbai batter Tilak Varma
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo