Ravi Shastri, who used to be the lead trainer of the Indian group, feels that Gujarat Titans chief Hardik Pandya should do well against his old group, the Mumbai Indians. The two teams will play on Friday, May 12, at Wankhede Stadium, where he has produced some of his best work over the years.
Shastri thinks it won’t be easy for the top team to get two points against MI because it will be their first time meeting Pandya in their own home. MI will come into this game ready for anything after one more fruitful pursuit against the Imperial Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
In an interview with Star Sports prior to Match 57 of the current Indian Premier League season (IPL 2023), Shastri said the following about Pandya:
“Hardik’s return home will be difficult. He will play an essential match against the group at the ground where he rose to fame. Hardik might want to demonstrate a ton by driving his group to triumph.”
Added he:
“This match will be really interesting because GT will not be able to beat MI at home easily, and MI will want to make up for their loss in Ahmedabad and move strongly toward the playoffs.”
In this season’s ten matches, Hardik Pandya has scored 277 runs and taken three wickets.
Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian cricketer, also participated in the discussion. He suggested that in order for the Mumbai Indians to have the best chance of winning their match against the Gujarat Titans, they would need to win the toss.
Harbhajan feels Mumbai’s bowling isn’t a major area of strength, so the resistance implies they will expect to win the throw and pursue. He commented on this:
“Miami will need to bring their A-game against GT because GT has a very strong bowling lineup. Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, and other excellent bowlers are part of GT. Mumbai’s bowling assault, then again, is more fragile, and they are releasing 200 or more runs.”
Added the former cricketer:
“Yes, MI has attempted to beat three 200-plus totals in a row, but the law of averages may catch up. Additionally, the toss will be very important in that game; if MI loses the toss, it will be difficult.”
Sreesanth, a former Indian cricketer, also commented on the significance of Gujarat’s team environment. He stated,
“It will be very exciting for MI and GT to play each other. At Wankhede, MI is performing. They will have a significant victory going into this match. “On the other hand, Hardik is brilliantly leading GT. Additionally, their management of the team ensures that the team arrives on the field well-prepared. It is easy to win in this situation because this team lives in a family environment.
The Mumbai Indians frantically need two focuses from this apparatus as different groups are breathing down their necks in the focuses table. In the meantime, a victory for the Titans will guarantee their participation in Chennai’s IPL 2023 playoff qualifier 1.
