Hardik Pandya returns to the Narendra Modi Stadium, where he once faced the wrath of fans after moving from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI). A year later, having played a pivotal role in India’s ICC trophy triumphs, will he be forgiven? MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene believes time has healed past wounds, but Pandya’s focus remains on turning MI’s fortunes around in IPL 2025.

Clash of Titans: MI vs GT in Ahmedabad

MI faces a tough challenge against GT, who boast a strong squad led by Shubman Gill. GT’s recent chase against Punjab Kings showcased their batting firepower, with Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford, and Kagiso Rabada strengthening the lineup. Meanwhile, MI, yet to win at this venue, will rely on Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya to overcome GT’s dominant spin attack, led by Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore.

Key Match-Ups and Strategies

  • Pandya’s Impact: Returning from injury, Pandya will play a crucial role with both bat and ball.

  • Rohit Sharma’s Redemption: Facing Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada early could determine MI’s fate.

  • GT’s Middle-Order Struggles: Despite a solid top order, GT has had issues maintaining momentum in the middle overs.

  • Toss Factor: With heavy dew expected, teams will prefer chasing.

Team News & Probable XI

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (WK), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh Puthur.

Match Details

? Date: Saturday, March 29, 2025
? Time: 7:30 PM IST
? Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Stat Attack & Insights

  • GT leads the head-to-head 3-2, winning all three games in Ahmedabad.

  • Pandya’s IPL captaincy journey started here with MI in 2024.

  • Spinners have had contrasting results in Ahmedabad, with better figures in first innings.

Quotes from the Camp

? Parthiv Patel (GT Assistant Coach): "Bowling those one-two overs well can change the game in T20s."
? Mahela Jayawardene (MI Coach): "We always knew Vignesh Puthur was ready to play for Mumbai."

Can MI break their losing streak in Ahmedabad, or will GT continue their dominance at home?