Kamal Ghorui
AHMEDABAD: With just one win from five matches, Mumbai Indians find themselves in early must-win territory as they take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday. Rooted to the bottom of the table, MI can ill afford another slip, especially against opponents they have never beaten at this venue.The challenge is formidable. Gujarat Titans have turned Ahmedabad into a stronghold, while Mumbai’s own campaign has been marked by inconsistency — most notably with the ball. The new-ball pair of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult has struggled for penetration, often conceding runs without breakthroughs. Even Jasprit Bumrah has looked short of his usual rhythm, leaving MI without the control they are accustomed to.Shardul Thakur leads the wicket charts for MI with six scalps, but his economy rate of 13.57 underlines the trade-off. Spin has offered control without menace. Mitchell Santner, who missed the previous match against Punjab Kings due to illness, has been economical, while Afghan off-spinner Allah Ghazanfar has picked up wickets but leaked runs.
Batting has been similarly uneven. Quinton de Kock’s superb century against PBKS — after replacing the injured Rohit Sharma — was a major positive, yet MI still lacked momentum at the death. The inability of the middle and lower order to collectively finish innings has been a recurring theme they must address.Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, boast one of the strongest bowling attacks in the league. Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada form a potent new-ball pairing, supported by Prasidh Krishna and Ashok Sharma, who thrive on pace and hard lengths. Rashid Khan’s leg-spin continues to apply pressure through the middle overs.Titans’ captain Shubman Gill, despite a last-over win against Kolkata Knight Riders, admitted that he would have liked to finish the chase earlier — exposing some concern around the middle order, which has leaned heavily on Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler.There is added intrigue with Hardik Pandya returning to the stadium where he led GT to their first IPL title in 2022. The noise around his move back to MI has eased, but his form with the bat remains a concern. A return to rhythm would greatly aid MI’s effort to revive their campaign. On a ground where history is stacked against them, urgency has arrived early.
