IPL 2017 | Match 35 Preview: Gujarat Lions vs Mumbai Indians
BCCI
Mumbai Indians will return to action after their mini-break following their three-run loss to Pune when they take on hosts Gujarat Lions at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium tonight. While dominant MI are second on the points table, Gujarat are fifth after having played eight matches.
After losing their opening game against RPS, MI went on an incredible six-game winning streak before losing the Maharashtra derby for the second time in a month. However, they remain one of the sides to beat in the tournament with almost every player bang on form. The last game also saw skipper Rohit Sharma regain his touch with a 39-ball 58 which is a big positive for the two-time winners.
Gujarat, on the other hand, bounced back strongly after winning just once in their first five games. In their last three matches, last season's table toppers have won against KKR and RCB with Andrew Tye a star performer. The Aussie has claimed 12 wickets in the five games he has played at an average of 11. Gujarat
Head to Head:
Gujarat lead 2-1.
Last Meeting:
MI recorded a comfortable six-wicket win after Gujarat had won both matches last season. Brendon McCullum and Dinesh Karthik helped Gujarat to a reasonable score of 176 but Nitish Rana lashed a 36-ball 53 and Pollard and Sharma took Mumbai home with three balls to spare.
Fan Predictions:
As part of the preview, we bring to you fan predictions for the talking points of the game. The predictions are sourced from the newest fantasy game on the block ā
Ā Ā© GL holds an advantage of 2-1 H2h previous 3 matches they played each other in the IPL so far. However, in IPL 2017, GL have won 3 matches and Lost 5 and are coming off a confident victory against RCB while MI have been one of the finest teams in this season's IPL by winning 6 matches and losing just 2 matches so far but they are coming off a closely fought loss at home to RPS. Even though GL are coming off a brilliant victory and playing at home, expect Mumbai Indians to bounce back, as their team had one off day and Rohit Sharma's men will not be repeating the same mistakes again. Hence we predict Mumbai Indians to win this contest.Fans verdict:Ā The fans agree, with 65% predicting a Mumbai victory.
Which skipper will score more runs?
A.) Suresh Raina B.) Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina are one of the most consistent batsmen in the IPL. In the 8 matches played in this IPL, Raina has scored 309 runs whereas Rohit Sharma has scored just 112 runs. However, in the 3 Head to head games Batting average: Raina - 37.7 and Rohit - 38.5. Rohit Sharma, this season has been nothing but inconsistent and scores in the away fixtures have been dis,
Form Guide:
Gujarat Lions: L L W L W
Mumbai Indians:W W W W L
Gujarat have shown their mental toughness after losing the first few games by huge margins as Tye & Co launched a mini revival that also includes a victory over the in-form KKR.
MumbaiĀ haveĀ the near-perfect team, beating every opposition in the League barring Pune, who beat them twice. Gujarat have their hands full given the kind of talent that Mumbai have at their disposal.
Predicted Playing XI:
Mumbai Indians: Parthiv Patel (wk), Jos Buttler, Rohit Sharma (C), Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Johnson.
Gujarat Lions: Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina (C), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Aaron Finch, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Andrew Tye, Praveen Kumar, Shivil Kaushik, Basil Thampi.
Key Players:
Rohit Sharma (MI): The skipper finally decided to join the IPL party against RPS as he brought his side to within touching distance of a seventh consecutive win. Although it wasn't to be, Sharma would have gained a lot of confidence after having struggled for form.
Aaron Finch (GL): Jut when RCB thought they had gained a foothold in the last game against GL, they were hit by a Finch storm. A 34-ball 72 ended any hopes RCB had in the game and ensured Gujarat leapfrogged the Bangalore side on the table.
Pre-match chatter:
"I don't want to be too critical of our performance. We have been playing good cricket. We have to forget what happened and move on." - Rohit Sharma on the Pune defeat.
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
TV Listings: Sony Six HD, Sony Six, Set Max, Sony ESPN
