Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, 9th Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary
Preview by Gani Perwaiz
Hardik Pandya is back at the very place where the booing first began. Just over a year ago, the stands that once roared in support of him during the IPL turned against him following his return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans. His move did not sit well with the Ahmedabad crowd, and last season, he endured constant taunts at various IPL venues. To make matters worse, neither he nor Mumbai Indians could turn things around, as the team finished at the bottom of the points table.
However, a year is a long time in cricket. Since then, Pandya has become a national hero, playing pivotal roles in India’s triumphs at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy earlier this month. On Saturday night, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, he will look to make peace with the Ahmedabad crowd as Mumbai Indians take on Gujarat Titans. The big question remains: has the city forgiven and forgotten?
Mumbai Indians’ head coach Mahela Jayawardene believes the fans have moved on. “Fans are fans, and emotions are part of it. I’m sure that everyone has gone beyond that. It’s amazing to see how loyalty and everything works in the IPL,” Jayawardene said on the eve of the match. More than public sentiment, Pandya will be focused on breaking MI’s tendency for slow starts in the league. They have already lost one game, and facing a formidable GT team will be a stern challenge.
Pandya, returning after missing the first match, will play a crucial role with both bat and ball. However, attention will also be on Rohit Sharma, who suffered a duck in Chennai. With the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada in Gujarat’s attack, Sharma’s performance alongside Ryan Rickelton at the top will be vital. Additionally, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Pandya will have to counter the spin duo of Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore.
Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, have a dangerous squad despite a loss in their first match. With new additions like Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford, and Kagiso Rabada, their lineup looks strong. However, their batting depth remains a concern, as was evident in their chase against Punjab Kings when they struggled against well-executed wide yorkers from Vyshak Vijaykumar. Mumbai Indians will have taken note and will likely look to exploit the same weakness.
Match Details:
Date & Time: Saturday, March 29, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Weather & Pitch Conditions: Expect hot conditions and heavy dew during the match, making the toss crucial. Teams generally prefer chasing under these circumstances.
Head-to-Head Record:
Gujarat Titans lead 3-2 against Mumbai Indians. Notably, they have won all three matches at this venue, including the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2. All five encounters between these teams have been won by the side batting first.
Team Watch:
Gujarat Titans
Injury/Unavailability: No injury concerns.
Tactics & Matchups: While Sherfane Rutherford performed decently in the last game, his struggles against Vijaykumar exposed GT’s weakness against wide yorkers. GT may still persist with him before considering Glenn Phillips. Their four overseas players are expected to be Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, and Rutherford. Washington Sundar might replace Arshad Khan.
Key Battles: Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada will target Rohit Sharma early, while Rashid Khan’s duel with Suryakumar Yadav will be a highlight.
Probable XI: Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.
Mumbai Indians
Injury/Unavailability: No major updates, though Jasprit Bumrah’s availability remains uncertain.
Tactics & Matchups: Robin Minz might be replaced by Hardik Pandya, while Vignesh Puthur, a surprise performer in the first game, could be used as an Impact Player. MI might persist with their current lineup but could make a surprise selection. Trent Boult’s new-ball spell against Gill and Sai Sudharsan will be crucial.
Probable XI: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Satyanarayana Raju Vignesh Puthur.
Interesting Stats & Facts:
Pandya’s Ahmedabad History: He led GT to their maiden IPL title at this venue in 2022, delivering a Player of the Match performance in the final. However, his first game as MI’s full-time captain here in 2024 ended in a narrow six-run defeat.
GT’s Middle-Order Struggles:** In IPL 2024, GT had one of the worst-performing middle orders, relying heavily on their top order. They faced a similar issue in their chase against Punjab Kings this season.
Spin Impact at Narendra Modi Stadium: In the last five IPL games here, spinners have performed significantly better in the first innings compared to the second. In GT’s last game, their spinners picked up 4/78 in 8 overs (ER: 9.75) in the first innings, whereas Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell conceded 60 runs in just five overs (ER: 12) while bowling in the second innings.
As MI and GT gear up for this high-voltage encounter, all eyes will be on Hardik Pandya. Will he finally find acceptance among the Ahmedabad crowd? More importantly, can he lead Mumbai Indians to a crucial victory at a venue where they have never beaten Gujarat Titans? The stage is set for an exciting contest in IPL 2025.
Hardik Pandya is back where the booing first began. Just over a year ago, he faced a hostile reception from the very stands that had cheered him wholeheartedly the previous two seasons of the IPL. His move from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians did not exactly sit well with the fans, and he went on to endure a crescendo of taunts across most of the IPL venues last season. The denouement was far from ideal, as neither he nor his team actually managed to recover, eventually finishing at the bottom.
One year on, the big question is has Ahmedabad forgotten and forgiven Pandya? That will be revealed on Saturday night here at Narendra Modi Stadium when MI clash with Gujarat Titans, the home team. Much water has flowed through the Sabarmati since the last clash between these sides. In this period, Pandya has covered himself in glory, playing seminal roles in India's two ICC trophy triumphs - the Twenty20 World Cup in 2024 and Champions Trophy earlier this month.
"Fans are fans and the emotions are part of it and I'm sure that everyone's gone beyond that and it's amazing to see how loyalty and everything works even in the IPL which is fascinating. I've enjoyed watching from outside. But I think, 12 months on he's achieved a lot more and I'm sure that everyone will see beyond what happened in last year and we can enjoy a good game of cricket and everyone else can enjoy a good game of cricket too," Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene said on the eve of the contest in Ahmedabad where MI had never won against GT.
As Jayawardene hoped, it is unlikely Pandya will any longer be seen as a deserter - he has, after all, emerged as a national hero - but the MI skipper's focus would be less on winning over the local fans than stemming the slew of poor starts that the Mumbai Indians are notoriously known for in the league season after season. They have already lost one and it will not be easy against a side that came close to recording the second highest chase in the IPL history against Punjab Kings the other night.
Pandya, who missed the first match, will himself be at the centre of action, both with ball and bat, but a lot of attention will also be on their talisman Rohit Sharma, who had a duck in Chennai. He will be up against the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, and how he starts with Ryan Rickelton will determine how the match progresses. Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Pandya himself will have to tackle the guile and accuracy of the spin-twins - Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore - but the start will be vital to MI chances.
Despite the reversal in the first game, the Shubman Gill's side looks very dangerous with new recruits like Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford and Kagiso Rabada adding to the batting and bowling prowess. But the problem for the former champions is they were one batter short in the previous XI and their vulnerability to wide yorkers got badly exposed by Vyshak Vijaykumar in the previous game.
Unlikely that Mumbai Indians haven't noticed this. But more than planning and preparation, execution will be crucial - just like PBKS, whose bowlers executed those wide yorkers well.
When: Saturday, March 29, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
What to expect: The days are very hot, and inevitably, there is copious dew during match hours. As a result, teams inevitably prefer to bat second, making the toss a crucial factor in the contest.
Head to Head: GT have a 3-2 win record over MI in their five face-offs with a clean 3-0 slate at the venue, including Qualifier 2 in 2023. Each of the five matches between the sides have been won by the side batting first.
Team Watch:
Gujarat Titans:
Injury/Unavailability: There are no injury concerns in the Titans team.
Tactics & Matchups: While Rutherford came up with a decent performance, his struggles against Vijaykumar meant GT couldn't get over the line against Punjab Kings. But GT might give him another go before considering Glenn Phillips. This means the home team will stick with the same four overseas players - Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, and Kagiso Rabada completing the quartet. Washington Sundar may get a look-in, potentially at the expense of Arshad Khan. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada will go hard against Rohit but the most interesting match-up would be one between Suryakumar Yadav and Rashid Khan.
Probable XII: Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
Mumbai Indians:
Injury/Unavailability: There is no information of any injury barring of course Jasprit Bumrah, whose availability is still in the realm of uncertainty.
Tactics & Matchups: Robin Minz might make way for Hardik Pandya and Vignesh Puthur, the surprise package in the first game, could be used as an Impact Player. It's unlikely there will be any other change but a surprise selection is not ruled out. Mitchell Santner and Puthur will test the likes of Buttler and Rutherford but of particular interest will be Trent Boult, known to provide early breakthroughs, against the GT openers Gill and Sai Sudharsan.
Probable XII: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Satyanarayana Raju Vignesh Puthur
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