GT vs MI is the second virtual semifinal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The winner of the match will meet Chennai Super Kings in the title clash on Sunday. Gujarat Titans suffered a 15-run defeat in Qualifier 1. Mumbai Indians (MI), on the other hand, crushed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 81 runs.
The Qualifier 2 will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Friday at 7:30 PM.
Gujarat Titans
GT will be hoping that its batsmen will come good at home. The prolific Shubman Gill is nine short of becoming the leading run-scorer this season and would want to seal the Orange Cap. With MI’s bowling its weak link this season, Gill and Wriddhiman Saha could dominate the powerplay. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, and Rahul Tewatia are proven big-game players.
Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan are in an exciting battle for the Purple Cap. The Indian pacer has 26 wickets, while the Afghanistan skipper has 25. The duo has received tremendous support from medium-pacer Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad. Uncapped Darshan Nalkande and Hardik are the pace options in GT’s playing 11.
Mumbai Indians
The in-form MI batting unit is the franchise’s strength in Qualifier 2. The opening pair Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have been giving MI an excellent start in the powerplay in the last few games. Suryakumar Yadav and Cameron Green can up the ante in middle overs and could take the game away from GT. The duo added 66 runs in 38 balls against LSG in the Eliminator. Tilak Varma, Tim David, and Nehal Wadhera are the other key batters in the MI squad.
Akash Madhwal delivered the goods for MI when they needed someone to step up. On Wednesday, the 29-year-old took four wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad and clinched 5/5 against the Lucknow-based franchise. The onus will be on Jason Behrendorff and Chris Jordan to deliver a quality performance in Ahmedabad. Piyush Chawla has been MI’s standout spinner this term. He took the wickets of Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar when both teams met in Ahmedabad this season.
GT vs MI Head-to-Head
MI has a narrow lead in the three meetings with GT. The five-time winners have picked up two wins, while the defending champions have won once. Suryakumar Yadav’s maiden IPL century saw MI grab a comfortable win over GT in the second fixture between the two sides in IPL 2023.
GT vs MI Last Three Meetings
GT & MI IPL 2023 Stats
- Top Run-scorer: Shubman Gill – 722 runs (GT); Suryakumar Yadav – 544 runs (MI)
- Most Wickets: Mohammed Shami – 26 wickets (GT); Piyush Chawla – 21 wickets (MI)
- Highest Sixes: Shubman Gill – 23 sixes (GT); Suryakumar Yadav – 26 sixes (MI)
GT vs MI – Who Will Win?
GT’s most experienced batters – Hardik Pandya and David Miller – failed to deliver in Qualifier 1. However, the defending champions will be playing at home, and Shubman Gill will be eyeing another big knock against a relatively weaker MI bowling unit. Meanwhile, the likes of Cameron Green and Suryakumar Yadav could pile misery on GT bowlers on a batting-friendly track. The hosts are likely to book their place in the final.