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The Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) face off in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 on Friday, May 26, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The winner of this encounter will play the Final of IPL 2023 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the same venue.
GT is enjoying the perks of finishing in the top two in the group stage as they’re getting a second chance to make the Final despite losing in Qualifier 1 to CSK. Right from the toss and the team selection, GT took some risky and contentious calls that CSK duly punished.
Opting to field first, their move to bring Darshan Nalkande in almost worked out as he dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad, but it was on a no-ball, and the CSK opener made GT pay. Courtesy of brisk cameos from other batters, CSK put up a total of 172/7, and on a slow and dry wicket, that was a challenging one.
In their chase, the decision to hold back the in-form Vijay Shankar, who is also very familiar with the conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, cost them as the CSK spinners choked GT post the powerplay.
In the end, CSK won by 15 runs despite a late flourish from Rashid Khan’s bat. Nevertheless, as they return to home conditions, the Titans will back themselves to return to winning ways and have a shot at defending their title.
The Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, tasted success at Chepauk and absolutely decimated the Lucknow Supergiants. Rohit Sharma learned from the GT-CSK game and cleverly chose to bat first, and the MI batting order backed that decision.
They made the most of the powerplay, and the overs that followed as run-scoring became challenging as the ball got older. Despite a stellar spell from Naveen-ul-Haq(4/38 in four overs), MI’s total of 182/8, courtesy of quick runs from Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, and Nehal Wadhera, was a winning one.
Their bowlers stepped up and delivered a clinical bowling effort, and it was uncapped seamer Akash Madhwal who truly stole the show. The Uttarakhand seamer, who came into this match on the back of a 4-fer against SRH, did one better and bowled an unplayable spell that rattled the LSG batters.
He finished the contest with figures of 5/5 in 3.3 overs, matching the legendary Anil Kumble’s record in the best-ever IPL spells and the undisputed best one in IPL playoffs history.
Both teams have played sensational cricket this season and have won one game each in their two meetings. Will the trophy-laden IPL veterans Mumbai Indians enter another IPL final, or will the defending champions and two-seasons-old Gujarat Titans play in front of their home fans on Sunday? Let’s find out on Friday night.
Match Details
Date: May 26, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Weather Forecast
It should be a hot and dry evening in Ahmedabad, with there unlikely to be any breeze to provide relief to the players. Temperatures could go as high as 39 degrees Celsius. Dew isn’t likely to play a role in this match.
Pitch Report
The wicket at Ahmedabad should be fast-paced and conducive for stroke-making. However, pacers bowling in the second innings could find some success with the new ball as the Ahmedabad wicket usually livens up and offers plenty of seam movement around the 09:30 PM mark due to a natural phenomenon relating to the Sabarmati river.
The toss will be interesting as both teams prefer chasing, but in their head-to-head contests this year, they’ve both won the matches they’ve batted first. Also, the team batting first has won the last four games played at this venue.
Predicted XIs
Gujarat Titans
GT threw a curveball by handing Darshan Nalkande his GT cap in Qualifier 1, and if not for fine margins, the move would’ve worked out well. He’s likely to keep his place in the team as an impact player, but they could also lean toward the more experienced Yash Dayal.
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (C), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Dasun Shanaka, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma, and Mohammed Shami. (Impact Player: Darshan Nalkande/Yash Dayal)
Mumbai Indians
MI is a side that doesn’t tinker with their team much once they’ve found the right combination. Kumar Kartikeya returning to the playing XI instead of Hrithik Shokeen should be their only change.
Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (WK), Rohit Sharma (C), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Chris Jordan, Piyush Chawla, Kumar Karthikeya, and Akash Madhwal. (Impact Sub: Jason Behrendorff)
Match Prediction
The outcome of this game is hard to predict, with two quality sides that prefer chasing going head-to-head. MI have momentum on their side, and their experience handling playoff games increases their chances of winning this one. However, GT has looked calm and composed all season, consistently bouncing back after rare defeats.
They are the more balanced of the two sides and have the better bowling unit. While this could go either way, GT’s team stability and balance, combined with a better knowledge of the conditions, give them a slight edge over MI.
Prediction: Gujarat Titans to win Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023
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