Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans: Win or Go Home in IPL 2025

🧩 GT's Batting Puzzle Top-Heavy Success: GT's strong performances so far have been built on the consistency of Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler. Their ability to bat deep often shielded the middle order from pressure. Middle-Order Concerns: Initial concerns about the middle order had been eased somewhat thanks to impactful cameos from Sherfane Rutherford and Shahrukh Khan. However, they haven't been tested in many high-pressure chases or rebuilds. Buttler's Absence: This is arguably the biggest disruption. Buttler was not just a performer but also brought experience and calmness. His replacement, Kusal Mendis, is talented but untested in the IPL and not match-hardened—a big risk in a knockout game. ⏸️ Momentum Interrupted GT’s late slump (two losses in their last two games) saw them miss out on the top-two cushion. Losing momentum right before playoffs is often critical, especially when a key player (Buttler) departs. Unlike Mendis for GT, MI's replacement for Rickelton is an IPL veteran: Jonny Bairstow. Last fortnight, he smashed twin fifties for Yorkshire, albeit in a red-ball game. Will Jacks, who has also left MI for England duty, does not leave behind that big a hole. On current form, their bowling attack also seems stronger than GT's. GT, though, will draw confidence from having beaten MI in both league games. In fact, MI are yet to beat any of the three other teams in the playoffs. They did have a six-match winning streak in the middle, but after two losses in their last three league games, they no longer appear invincible. 🔍 Key Questions Ahead of the Eliminator Can Mendis slot in effectively and handle the pressure? Will Gill and Sudharsan need to take on extra responsibility? Can Rutherford or Shahrukh deliver under greater expectations? Will GT consider reshuffling their batting order to protect Mendis or play an extra batter/all-rounder? 💥 Facing MI in the Eliminator Mumbai Indians are seasoned campaigners with a history of rising to the occasion in playoffs. The venue, New Chandigarh, could play a role depending on pitch conditions (whether spin-friendly or batting paradise). 🔮 Prediction Outlook Without Buttler and with momentum slipping, GT are vulnerable, but not out. If Gill anchors and Rutherford or Shahrukh chip in, they could still edge MI. But it will require a sharp bowling performance and a bit of adaptability in the batting setup. Both teams probable XI Gujarat Titans Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Kusal Mendis, Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Mumbai Indians Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Suryakumar Yadav, Charith Asalanka, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar/Karn Sharma