🏏IPL 2023 - Qualifier 2: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 26/05/23 at 7:30 PM IST🏏
Tag & Logo Credit: Sevenstreaks
Time to decide the second finalist of IPL 2023
Will the final be between the veteran teams CSK and MI (who won the trophy 4 and 5 times respectively) or will it be between the 4 times champion CSK and emerging champion GT?
We are not too far away from finding
Boss batters vs Boss bowlers as Mumbai take on Titans in Qualifier 2
The pitch in Ahmedabad is expected to be a belter and the expectation is that there won't be a lot of dew
Defending champions vs Serial winners
For probably the first time in the franchise's young history, Gujarat Titans will be feeling the pressure in a knockout game. Freshly jolted by a defeat in Qualifier 1, this is the first time they're ever playing an IPL game to stay alive. The best team from the league stage didn't really play like it against Chennai Super Kings to the point that it suddenly seems like they aren't entirely sure of their best XI. Getting that wrong in the playoff stages usually proves expensive.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians are peaking at the right time. They produced one of their most complete performances in the Eliminator to go with four wins in their last five games in the group stages. From the batting point of view, everyone has unlocked the most dangerous version of themselves, and among bowlers, Piyush Chawla and Jason Behrendorff are doing enough for Akash Madhwal to shine at the death.Mumbai beat Titans the last time the two sides met in IPL 2023, and purely based on recent results and recent vibes, Mumbai would appear to have the edge. Their bowling unit has been red-hot of late but that wasn't quite the case early on in the tournament. Titans on the other hand have proven performers with the ball, including the season's top two wicket-takers. How Madhwal and co can match up to Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan may well decide the outcome of this game.
Titans' batting though, at least in the present moment, lacks the clarity their bowling has. They need to figure out if Dasun Shanaka is offering enough. And also do more to ensure Vijay Shankar bats when he can have the most impact. Most of all, they have to find a way for Hardik Pandya - the batter - to make the best use of his skills. If that clarity is there, Titans will feel that the Qualifier defeat was a mere blip on their journey towards defending their IPL title. It won't come easy against a side that just knows how to win crunch games.
comment:
p_commentcount