The stakes are high as Gujarat Titans (GT) lock horns with Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 Eliminator on May 30 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur. GT secured third place on the points table with nine wins from 14 matches, while MI just scraped through to fourth with eight victories.
Both sides head into this knockout clash on the back of defeats—GT were outclassed by Chennai Super Kings, losing by 83 runs despite Sai Sudharsan’s 41, while MI were handed a seven-wicket loss by Punjab Kings, with Suryakumar Yadav top-scoring with 57.
When it comes to head-to-head battles, Gujarat have had the upper hand, winning five of the seven contests, including both league meetings this season. Their dominance was evident last year too, when they knocked out MI in the 2023 second qualifier.
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The Mullanpur surface promises another hot evening and challenging conditions with its uneven square boundaries. Neither team has played here this season, making adaptability a key factor. Interestingly, both teams beat PBKS at this venue last year, so there’s some history—but come Friday, only one will stay alive in the race to the IPL 2025 title.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Several changes have been made ahead of the IPL 2025 Eliminator, with Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, and Corbin Bosch leaving for the WTC final. In their place, Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, and Richard Gleeson have been roped in temporarily and were seen training on Wednesday.
One of the key battles to watch early in the game will be between Trent Boult and the Gujarat Titans (GT) openers. The left-arm pacer has had the better of Sai Sudharsan twice this season and has also kept captain Shubman Gill quiet, conceding just 74 off 69 balls while dismissing him once. Sherfane Rutherford hasn’t fared any better, falling to Boult twice in just seven deliveries. Jonny Bairstow and Charith Asalanka are likely to bolster MI’s top order.
Probable XII: 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
Gujarat Titans (GT)
For GT, Kusal Mendis could slot in at No.3. Rashid Khan remains their trump card, especially against Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya, with a history of keeping all three in check.
Probable XII: 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
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Kusal Mendis, Sai Sudharsan (c), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya (vc), Mitchell Santner, Arshad Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Kusal Mendis, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (vc), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan
