Two teams will be looking to get off the mark in this year’s IPL when the Gujarat Titans host the Mumbai Indians.
Both teams lost their opening match of the season and with visions of making at least the playoff phase of this year’s IPL, neither can afford another early slip up. Ahead of what could be a spectacular match, here is everything you need to know.
Form Overview
For fans of Mumbai this has been a trying time. So used to dominating the IPL table, the five time winners of the competition are trying to rediscover their identity. So often a Goliath when it comes to the league phase of the competition, the Indians finished bottom of the regular season table last year and are off to a bad start once again this time around.
Handed a tricky opening assignment against fellow five time winners the Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai fell to a four wicket defeat and if you include their results from last season, it was their seventh defeat in their last eight matches.
Hardik Pandya missed the contest with Chennai due to a suspension so he will return for this game but the one man they will need a performance from is their former captain Rohit Sharma.
At this stage of his career Rohit is an interesting player to follow. Seemingly playing free and loose, when he gets it right he can still be one of the most devastating players in the format, but those days are few and far between now and at times he can be somewhat of a walking wicket.
Dismissed for a duck against Chennai, his absence meant the Indians were unable to post a really competitive score and they will need him to bounce back here. Rohit has a responsibility to set the tempo, they will be hoping he does exactly that in this crucial contest.
For the Titans they lost a tight match to the Punjab Kings. Falling eleven runs short, Shreyas Iyer showed why he is one of the most respected players in the league with a fine 97 off 42 balls. Almost helping guide his side to a memorable victory and Iyer will once again be looking to post a big score against a fragile Mumbai bowling lineup which will still be missing Jasprit Bumrah.
After winning the IPL in their debut season in 2022, they then almost became back to back winners when losing in the final in 2023. Last year saw them miss out on the playoffs altogether and they will be wanting to reclaim a spot this year. With their opponents reeling, this represents a superb opportunity to get some points on the board.
Where could the match be won or lost?
With both teams needing to win this contest due to their respective opening day defeats, there is plenty of pressure on the powerplay and the need to set a rhythm and tempo.
One of the key factors behind both teams missing out on the playoffs last season was because of their inability to score runs in the powerplay and if either team is to turn their fortunes around, this is simply an area where they need to do much better.
The table above shows what each team was able to average in the 2024 version of the tournament during the first six overs.
Mumbai were middle of the pack when it came to their averages, finishing fifth out of ten teams with an average of over 9 runs an over, how they will be desperate to try and replicate that in this match with them falling well short of that total in their defeat to the Super Kings.
For the Titans it’s easy to see where they fell short last season. Simply not being able to make enough of the generous batting scenarios during the first six overs, last year they finished bottom of the pile when it came to average runs scored and they will have to turn that around if they are to be successful this year.
Which players should we be keeping an eye on?
There are plenty of players capable of putting in a star performance when then the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians lock horns.
For the Gujarat Titans there will be plenty of pressure on Shreyas Iyer to perform as well as he did in the Titans opening match, but the pressure will also be on Joss Buttler.
At 34 Buttler is heading towards the latter part of his career and he has come through a challenging period. Relieved of his England captain duties, Buttler had a torrid time at the ICC Champions Trophy and wasn’t able to secure the runs that England needed as they lost all three of their group games.
With a cloud over him heading into the IPL, Buttler once again seemed at home in the Indian conditions.
Rattling off 54 runs in 33 balls, he helped the Titans reach a competitive score and he will be hoping to produce something similar here.
Able to score 3,636 runs up until this year, Buttler is knocking on the door of the all time top ten list. One of the finest T20 players of his generation, he will hope to build on his good start against the Punjab Kings in this vital match.
For the Mumbai Indians one man who will be looking to keep the batsmen of the Titans in check is Trent Boult. Now solely focused on white ball cricket, Boult is a fine exponent of pace bowling and in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah will need to step up for his side.
Signed from the Rajasthan Royals, Boult was able to take 16 wickets in the competition last year and will want to exceed that total for his new team this term.
Unable to take a wicket on his debut, he was expensive going at 9 runs an over. He will hope for a much improved performance in this clash of the titans.
Where is the match being played?
The match will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The biggest cricket ground in the world, it is a good pitch which offers plenty for both the ball and bat. Conditions will slow as the match wears on so it isn’t a surprise that teams like to bat second to see what score needs to be chased down.
Look for spin to play a crucial part in the game as conditions slow, the seamers will need to be economical as they will be targeted.
What is the head to head record between the teams?
With the Titans only joining the IPL back in 2022, matches between these two teams have been fairly limited and this will only be the sixth time that these sides have squared off against one another.
Worryingly for fans of the Indians, their team holds a fairly dismal record when it comes to taking on the Titans. Winners of their first encounter they have gone onto lose three of the next four, including the last two at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
When these two played last year the Titans won a low scoring thriller by six runs. The neutrals will be hoping for an equally exciting contest this time around.
Who will win the match between the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians
The bookies believe that this is a contest that the Gujarat Titans will edge and it’s easy to see why they think that.
Despite their legacy of being one of the greatest teams in the IPL there currently isn’t a team who is in worse form than the Indians and their away form in particular is a major cause for concern.
Having lost seven of their last eight away games, including their last two to the Titans they look to have an uphill task in turning it all around.
Shreyas Iyer and Joss Buttler hold the key for the Titans, if they can cash in on the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, they should win their first match of the season and get their campaign up and running.
Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies