MI Opt to Bat First in IPL 2025 Eliminator; Three Changes Made

Toss: Mumbai Indians Choose to Bat First Against Gujarat Titans

In the IPL 2025 Eliminator, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya decided to bat first after winning the toss against Gujarat Titans (GT). The game is taking place at the same venue as Qualifier 1, where Punjab Kings (PBKS) were bowled out for just 101 while batting first. However, for this match, a fresh pitch with less grass cover is in use, which may offer different conditions for both teams.

Three New Players for MI and GT

Both teams made significant changes to their playing XIs, with three new caps handed out. MI handed Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson their debuts for the franchise, while Kusal Mendis made his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans.

• MI Changes: Bairstow and Gleeson replaced Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks in the MI squad.
• GT Change: Mendis replaced Jos Buttler, who is on international duty.

Further Line-up Adjustments

• Mumbai Indians: To balance their team, MI replaced Will Jacks, the batting allrounder, with Richard Gleeson, a frontline quick. They also added Raj Bawa, the seam-bowling allrounder, in place of Deepak Chahar, who may still be recovering from a hamstring injury.
• Gujarat Titans: GT introduced Washington Sundar, the spin-bowling allrounder, in place of Arshad Khan, likely due to the dry-looking pitch.

Full Playing XIs

• Mumbai Indians:
  1. Rohit Sharma
  2. Jonny Bairstow (wk)
  3. Tilak Varma
  4. Suryakumar Yadav
  5. Naman Dhir
  6. Hardik Pandya (capt)
  7. Raj Bawa
  8. Mitchell Santner
  9. Trent Boult
  10. Jasprit Bumrah
  11. Richard Gleeson
• Impact Subs: Krishnan Shrijith, Raghu Sharma, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley.
• Gujarat Titans:
  1. Shubman Gill (capt)
  2. B Sai Sudharsan
  3. Kusal Mendis (wk)
  4. M Shahrukh Khan
  5. Washington Sundar
  6. Rahul Tewatia
  7. Rashid Khan
  8. R Sai Kishore
  9. Gerald Coetzee
  10. Mohammed Siraj
  11. Prasidh Krishna
• Impact Subs: Sherfane Rutherford, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Jayant Yadav, Arshad Khan.

Key Factors for the Eliminator

Both teams have made strategic changes based on conditions, and the tactical decisions will be crucial in such an important knockout game. With the fresh pitch conditions, MI’s decision to bat first gives them a chance to post a total and put pressure on GT’s chase. On the other hand, GT’s bowling depth, with the inclusion of Sundar, will be pivotal in the middle overs.

This thrilling contest between two top teams in IPL 2025 is set to be a battle of strategies, match-winners, and new opportunities as the stakes are higher than ever.