AHMEDABAD: With just one win from five matches, Mumbai Indians find themselves in an early must-win zone when they take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday. Rooted at the bottom of the table, MI cannot afford another slip-up, especially against opponents who have never been beaten in this place.The challenge is enormous. The Gujarat Titans have turned Ahmedabad into a stronghold, while Mumbai’s own campaign has been marked by inconsistency – particularly on the ball. The new ball duo of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult struggled for penetration, often conceding runs without breakthroughs. Even Jasprit Bumrah looked below his usual pace, leaving MI without the control they are accustomed to.
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Mahela Jayawardene talks about poor bowling, combinations and team problems
Shardul Thakur tops the wicket charts for MI with six scalps, but his economy rate of 13.57 underscores the trade-off. Spin offered control without threat. Mitchell Santner, who missed the previous match against Punjab Kings due to illness, was economical, while Afghan pacer Allah Ghazanfar took wickets but leaked runs.
The batting was similarly uneven. Quinton de Kock’s brilliant century against PBKS – after replacing the injured Rohit Sharma – was a huge positive, yet MI still lack momentum at the death.
The inability of the middle and lower order to finish the innings collectively has been a recurring theme they have had to address.Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans have one of the strongest bowling attacks in the league. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada form a strong duo with the new ball, supported by Prasidh Krishna and Ashok Sharma, who are both quick and powerful. Rashid Khan’s leg movement continues to apply pressure through the middle.Titans captain Shubman Gill, despite their recent win over Kolkata Knight Riders, admitted he would have liked to end the chase early – revealing some concern about the middle order, which relied heavily on Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler.There is additional intrigue with
Hardik Pandya
Back on the field as he led GT to their maiden IPL title in 2022. The hype around his return to MI has died down, but his form with the bat remains a concern. A return to rhythm would greatly aid MI’s efforts to revive their campaign. On a land where history is stacked against them, the urgency arrived early.