AHMEDABAD: With victories eluding them in their opening matches, both Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians will look to get their campaign up and running here on Saturday.
Mumbai missed their regular captain, Hardik Pandya, in their opening game, since he was suspended for a slow over-rate offence incurred last season. With Pandya back at the stadium where he lifted the trophy in 2022, ironically with Titans, the clash adds another dynamic to the relationship he enjoys with the crowd here.
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Booed last time he took the field here, Pandya will be eager to showcase his captaincy credentials and win the fans back as his team looks to bounce back from last season’s 10th-place finish.
The Titans, meanwhile, will be kicking themselves for failing to get over the line against Punjab Kings in their opening encounter. They had the chase under control but faltered under some good bowling by Vijaykumar Vyshak.
Their bowling was shredded apart by the likes of Shreyas Iyer. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada and leg-spinner Rashid Khan will be looking for an improved bowling performance.
The fielding was also below average, with dropped catches and misfields helping the Kings' cause.
Mumbai, no doubt, will be heavily boosted by Pandya’s return. Their batters failed to get going at Chepauk, undone by Khaleel Ahmed’s pace and the guile of left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad.
Mumbai’s batters — Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Pandya, Will Jacks and Ryan Rickleton — should enjoy the true bounce and placid nature of the wicket here.
Pacers Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar will look to challenge Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, while left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur will look to continue his fairytale run.
