Hardik Pandya Returns as Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad: Hardik Pandya is set to return as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain after serving a one-match suspension. He missed MI’s first game due to an over-rate offence in their final match of IPL 2024. MI will play their second match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Both teams lose last match
Both sides lost their inaugural matches. MI lost to Chennai Super Kings and GT lost against Punjab Kings. Both sides now seek their initial win of the season.
Over the break, MI players made use of their time at Reliance’s camp in Jamnagar. Players engaged in team-building exercises as well as stress-relieving exercise.
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Mumbai Indians continues to miss Jasprit Bumrah
Pandya’s return will give MI a boost to their batting and bowling strength. But the team will be without star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is nursing a back injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Hardik’s comeback may lead to Robin Minz being dropped from the playing XI. MI’s batting struggled on the tricky Chepauk pitch in their first game. But conditions in Ahmedabad are expected to be better for batting. In the previous match at this venue, Punjab Kings scored 243 runs while Gujarat Titans managed 232, making it a high-scoring ground.
Mohammed Siraj struggles in GT vs PBKS
The pitch may be challenging for GT’s bowlers, particularly Mohammed Siraj, who conceded 54 runs in his previous match. Having few Indian pacers in their team, GT head coach Ashish Nehra will have to think of a good strategy. The bowling responsibility rests on the shoulders of Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan to deliver.
Both sides are yet to discover the ideal combination of foreign players. For MI, Suryakumar Yadav’s lack of form is still a worry. Rohit Sharma also needs to become more consistent.
Gujarat Titans will rely on captain Shubman Gill’s batting to do well this year. Their bowling lineup is not very varied, with Indian pacers such as Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Ishant Sharma depending on similar methods.
Hardik’s comeback is a morale booster for MI, particularly in the death overs, where he can deliver wide yorkers. With both sides desperate to win, a thrilling match is on the cards in Ahmedabad.
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