IPL 2017 | Match 16 Preview: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Lions
BCCI
Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions will go against each other after winning their previous outing convincingly. Rohit Sharma's struggle with the bat is a cause for concern for MI as their skipper was undone by the googly on three occasions and failed to achieve double digits in any of the matches.
MI are riding a wave of confidence after winning their previous two matches while chasing. The last game saw the return to form of their all-rounder Kieron Pollard and the West Indian's explosive batting could come in handy for the home side when they take on batting-heavy Gujarat. The Pandya brothers have contributed largely in each of the wins.Ā
Gujarat, on the other hand, bounced back strongly after losing their first two games. Andrew Tye made his IPL debut in the last match and the Aussie put his 'knuckle ball' to great use in helping dismantle Pune. The home crowd was delighted when the Gujarat top-order sealed the match by seven wickets. Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Dwayne Smith and skipper Suresh Raina appear in great touch. Their bowling, however, appears to be an area of concern with Praveen Kumar, Shadab Jakati and Ravindra Jadeja yet to find their rhythm.
Head to Head:
Gujarat have won both their meetings.
Last Meeting:
Gujarat won with 13 deliveries to spare on the back of a spectacular fifty by Suresh Raina after they were set a competitive target of 173 by the home side.
Predicted XI:
Mumbai Indians:Ā Parthiv Patel (wk), Jos Buttler, Rohit Sharma (C), Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Tim Southee
Gujarat Lions:Ā Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina (C), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Aaron Finch, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Andrew Tye, Praveen Kumar, Shadab Jakati/
Key Players:
Krunal Pandya (MI):Ā The all-rounder chipped in with a crucial 37 and helped rebuild the innings along with Pollard in the previous game to get the team over the line after it appeared like they were going to lose.Ā Ā The left-arm spinner has been successful in keeping it tight in the middle overs and taking key wickets.
Andrew Tye (GL):Ā The Aussie pacer had a dream IPL debut in the previous match where he ended up dismissing five Pune batsmen including the dangerous and set Ben Stokes. The 'knuckle ball' bowler picked up the second IPL hat-trick and that too in the last over as Pune were restricted to 171.
Time:Ā 4 pm
Venue:Ā Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
TV Listings: Sony Six HD, Sony Six, Set Max, Sony ESPN
