GT vs MI, IPL 2025: Gujarat Titans hosts Mumbai Indians in bid to fortify its home further in Ahmedabad

GT vs MI, IPL 2025: Gujarat Titans hosts Mumbai Indians in bid to fortify its home further in Ahmedabad

Gujarat Titans (GT) will look to preserve its spotless home record against Mumbai Indians (MI) as the two sides meet in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Saturday.

The Titans have had the better of MI in all three of their match-ups in Ahmedabad across the last two seasons.

Both teams come into the fixture after having stumbled in their season openers. While MI fumbled to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an away encounter, the Titans fell short in a high-scoring game against Punjab Kings at home.

From early sightings, it seems like MI has manufactured itself a problem of plenty in its batting department.

The five-time IPL champion has five elite top-order batters – Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav – in its ranks, but is yet to find a way to maximise their abilities, as observed from the meek batting display in Chennai.

On Saturday, MI will also welcome back skipper Hardik Pandya, who missed out against CSK due to an over-rate match ban.

Pandya, who captained the Titans to the IPL 2022 title and the IPL 2023 final, is likely to replace wicket-keeper batter Robin Minz and don the finisher role.

MI will hope the experienced Kiwi duo of Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner will shoulder the bowling responsibilities in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah.

Eyes will also be on the young left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur, who impressed against CSK with a three-wicket haul on his IPL debut.

For GT, the concerns will be centred around its bowling attack. Newly-recruited pacers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada came a cropper against Punjab Kings, while the usually-reliable Rashid Khan conceded 48 runs in his four overs against Shreyas Iyer and Co.

Left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore, who posted figures of three for 30, was the lone bright spot among the Titans bowlers, as they conceded their highest total at home.

Also in the spotlight would be GT’s middle order, which failed to capitalise on the platform set up by its top three in a tall chase against the Kings.

Mumbai Indians will target these weaknesses as it guns to end its winless run in Ahmedabad.