High-stakes Eliminator battle

It’s a fight for survival between two former champions. As Gujarat Titans face Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator here on Friday, the opportunity to fly to Ahmedabad for the final stage of the IPL will be at stake.

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The winner of the game will get to play in Qualifier 2 and get a chance of reaching the final.

Two weeks ago, GT would not have imagined being in this position, sitting pretty at the top. But a late dip in form cut their chances of reaching the final in half, denying them what had seemed a sure-shot top-two finish. Mumbai, on the other side, would be filled with confidence having bounced back after a horrible start. They too, though, would be disappointed at wasting their opportunity to finish in the top-two.

On Friday, both teams will have to give nothing less than their best to survive in the tournament. Interestingly, this will be the season’s first outing for both the teams at this ground.

Newly-appointed India Test captain Shubman Gill will be keen to inspire his team out of its two-match losing slump. The GT skipper will be hoping for extra support from the crowd in his home state. A win will also take the team to its home ground, which will be added motivation.

So far, Gujarat have relied heavily on their top-three batters. Sai Sudharsan has shown that a no-risk approach with relentless attacking can be a way to amass runs. He is among the top-scorers this season with more than 670 runs and was deservingly rewarded with a national team call-up for the Test tour of England.

Gill, who has scored an average of 400 runs every season since he joined the side, has led by example. Jos Buttler has been a consistent performer at No. 3, posting 538 runs so far, including five fifties.

GT have crossed the 200-mark on seven occasions this season. And their bowling attack, led by pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, and spinner Sai Kishore, has complemented the batting well. However, in their last three matches, the bowlers conceded 664 runs taking only 10 wickets, clearly showing a decline in their performance.

Despite not getting the desired performances from his star player Rashid Khan, GT have powered on. But they will need Khan to finally step up.

Meanwhile, four defeats in their first five games had put MI’s campaign in jeopardy, but Pandya’s side came back roaring to win the next six matches and establish themselves among the front-runners. Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma have blown hot and cold but Suryakumar Yadav has shown his class with consistent knocks. Senior pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult have set the tone with exceptional bowling. MI’s spin-bowling department, though, has been their weak link.