IPL 2024 – Match 5: SKY out Nehal Wadhera in, MI’s Playing 11 vs GT
Hardik Pandya will captain the Mumbai Indians against his former team, the Gujarat Titans.
The Mumbai Indians are all set to begin their campaign from the same place where they lost last year’s campaign against the same opposition. The sixth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will be played between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
This match is the most awaited of the tournament as the Mumbai Indians will be led by Hardik Pandya, the former captain of the Gujarat Titans. This year, the Gujarat Titans will be led by India’s young sensation, Shubman Gill.
Mumbai Indians brought back Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans in a trade window, making him the captain for this season.
Other than trading, they had a successful auction, acquiring Gerald Coetzee (Rs. 5 crore), Dilshan Madushanka (Rs. 4.60 crore), Shreyas Gopal (Rs. 20 lakh), Nuwan Thushara (Rs. 4.80 crore), Naman Dhir (Rs. 20 lakh), Anshul Kamboj (Rs. 20 lakh), Mohammad Nabi (Rs. 1.5 crore), and Shivalik Sharma (Rs. 20 lakh). Luke Wood and 17-year-old Kwena Maphaka have been named replacements for Jason Behrendorff and Dilshan Madhushanka, respectively.
Mumbai Indians’ Probable Playing XI vs Gujarat Giants
Surya’s absence from the first few matches of IPL 2024 might be a significant concern for the newly announced captain. Given their limited resources, Mumbai will struggle to find a replacement for a genuine Indian batter. In Surya’s absence, an Indian batsman would have to play at number three. In that instance, Tilak Varma might be moved up the batting order.
If the MI team does not want to disrupt Tim David and Mohammad Nabi’s late-middle-order combination, Nehal Wadhera or Naman Dhir may be given a chance. Vishnu Vinod too can be tried in place of SKY.
While there are mixed feelings over Hardik Pandya being named captain, his role as a player will be as vital to the team. The most fascinating aspect will be his batting position in the order that he will take. He made his name in MI while batting lower down the order and smashing it hard in the end as a finisher, but with GT, he played an anchor role and batted at 4.
MI’s batting lineup has a great blend of foreigners and Indians, but people with the same template. Be it Kishan, be it Nehal Wadhera or Tilak Verma, all like to play an attacking innings while gaining an advantage over the opposition. Now, after Hardik’s inclusion, their lower-middle order is sorted too, with Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, and Hardik playing at 5, 6, and 7.
MI fans would be hoping for their premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, to return in style and make a mark in this season for MI. The auction buys are equally lethal, and MI’s bowling, which was a cause of concern last year, seems to have been fixed on paper as of now.
MI Predicted Playing 11 vs GT:
Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Nuwan Thushara, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal
Impact – Dewald Brevis / Luke Wood
