Gujarat Titans (GT) will face Mumbai Indians (MI) in Eliminator of IPL 2025. The match will take place at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab. This is the 72nd match of the season. The match will start at 7:30 PM. Whoever wins will move to Qualifier 2 to face Punjab Kings. On the other hand, the losing side will exit the tournament.
Major Player Exits Before the Match
Unfortunately, both teams lost key players ahead of the big clash. Mumbai had to release Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, and Corbin Bosch. Similarly, Gujarat released Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada.
New Signings for Playoffs
To fill the gaps, both teams signed replacements. Mumbai brought in Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, and Richard Gleeson. Gujarat picked Kusal Mendis.
Interestingly, Bairstow went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, Mumbai signed him for INR 5.25 crore just for the playoffs. He is likely to open with Rohit Sharma.
Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis will bat at number three for Gujarat. He replaces Buttler, who was in top form this season. Therefore, Mendis will be under pressure to perform well.
Bowlers Could Make the Difference
When it comes to bowling, both teams have good line-ups. But Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult give Mumbai an edge. On the other hand, Gujarat will depend on Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, and Sai Kishore.
However, Rashid’s form is slightly worrying. Yet, Krishna and Kishore have performed decently so far.
Pitch Report
Earlier, in Qualifier 1, the pitch at Mullanpur was tough for batters. It improved later as the game progressed. Hence, the first 10 overs will be important. Teams should ideally choose to bowl first. A score above 180 runs could be match-winning.
Weather Report
Currently, Chandigarh is experiencing hot and dry weather. As per the forecast, the temperature will stay around 30°C. Importantly, there is no rain predicted for match day.
Squads
Gujarat Titans (GT): Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis (w), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Jayant Yadav, Dasun Shanaka, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Nishant Sindhu
Mumbai Indians (MI): Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (w), Suryakumar Yadav, Charith Asalanka, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar, Karn Sharma, Raj Bawa, Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Robin Minz, Arjun Tendulkar, Raghu Sharma, Krishnan Shrijith, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Richard Gleeson, Reece Topley