Mumbai, May 6
Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first in Match 56 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Gujarat Titans have made one change in the playing XI with Arshad Khan coming in for Washington Sundar. Mumbai Indians are unchanged from their last match.
Gill said he opted to bowl first because it is always better to have a score to chase. Says it is all about turning up on the day and delivering the best possible performance as a team, and not go to deep into what has happened in the past.
He said, though Kagiso Rabada was available for selection, he would take a couple of sessions to get into the groove.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya said he would have preferred bowling first, but he did not mind batting first. "There is a nice breeze around, so it will be fine to bowl later in the evening too". He said they are not thinking too much about their six-in-a-row win spree on the bounce, and being focused and being humble is the mantra for them.
Both teams need to win to maintain their chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Mumbai Indians had lost to GT when they played them at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in their second match of the season.
Playing XIs:
Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Impact substitutes: Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (capt), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Impact substitutes: Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Dasun Shanaka.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Smart decision by Gill to bowl first at Wankhede! The dew factor in second innings could be crucial. But MI's batting lineup looks dangerous - SKY and Rohit can take any bowling attack apart. Exciting match ahead! 💥 #IPL2025
Why drop Washington Sundar? His economical bowling was crucial in middle overs. Arshad Khan is inexperienced at this level. Hope this decision doesn't backfire for GT. MI looking strong with Bumrah in deadly form!
MI vs GT has become the new El Clasico of IPL! 🔥 Both teams playing fearless cricket. Hardik's captaincy has improved so much this season. But don't count out Gill's boys - they thrive under pressure. May the best team win!
As a Mumbai fan, I'm nervous about chasing later with Rashid Khan in GT's lineup. But our batting depth is incredible - even No.8 Corbin Bosch can hit big! Hope Rohit gets back to form today 🤞
Interesting to see both teams not playing their full-strength XIs. GT missing Rabada while MI resting Topley. IPL has become so competitive that even world-class players have to sit out! Shows the depth of talent in our league 🇮🇳
The real battle will be Bumrah vs Gill! Last time Gill smashed 70+ against MI. But Bumrah is in different form this season - 17 wickets already! Office productivity will drop during this match for sure 😄
K We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.