Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans IPL Tips: G&T tough to swallow for hosts

• Gujarat the value

• Wankhede surface not predictable

• Rabada out for season

• Coetzee has strong strike rate

• Sai overdue top-bat win

Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans
Tuesday 6 May, 15:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans IPL team news

Mumbai indians have won six in a row but they need to keep winning with the battle for the top-two far from done. MI have the best run rate in the competition and two wins from their last three may well be enough.

Mitch Santner has been dropped for Corbin Bosh, presumably because of superior hitting. Santner may offer more control in the field.

Probable MI XI: Rickleton, Rohit (Karn Sharma), Yadav, Tilak, Jacks, Hardik, Naman, Bosch, Deepak, Boult, Bumrah

Gujarat despatched Sunrisers last time out with a strong all-round display. Gerald Coetzee has come into the team with Kagiso Rabada confirmed as being out for the season for failing a drug test. The secrecy behind Rabada's departure and delayed release of the story is a significant issue for cricket's transparency. 

Sherfane Rutherford remains absent and he would be a welcome returnee in place of Washington Sundar at No 4. 

Probable GT XI: Sai (Ishant sub), Gill, Buttler, Sundar, Tewatia, Shahrukh, Janat, Rashid, Sai, Siraj

Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans IPL pitch report

Keeping track of what track will be used at the Wankhede has been difficult. Slow surfaces restricted Sunrisers to 162 and Chennai 176, making the ability to chase at a venue which can produce dew really important. But when MI batted first on it against Lucknow they smashed 215 and LSG's batting disappeared without trace.

We cannot be sure what we will get here. The hosts may reckon their more powerful batting will be a point of difference and produce a flat one saying: we will hit more sixes than you. They don't want to give assistance to GT's spinners. The par line for overs players is at 198.5. 

Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans IPL match prediction

Mumbai Indians are 1.695/7 with Gujarat 2.427/5. That is a predictably short price about the MI billboard players with the market obsessed with them before a ball was bowled and even when losing four of their first five.

It is also predictable perhaps that we take them on. The reasons are solid. For a start, let's look at their six-game winning run. Who have they beaten?

Poor sides is the answer. Sunrisers twice and Chennai and Royals once apiece. Of course they can only beat what is in front of them but that is a kind run of fixtiures.

Secondly, Rashid Khan causes them problems. Or rather, the spin bowler that turns it into the right-hander. Noor Ahmad, at the start of the tournament, did the same. Maybe those were aberrations. But it cannot be denied that MI face an efficient, battle-harderend unit with significant weapons for the first time in a while. 

Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans IPL pitch report

In the previous meeting, Sai Sudharsan top scored with 63 in a comfortable GT win. It is reasonable to expect Sai to cop soon given that he started the tournament with a two-year win rate of 40% and he has won three times this season. Sportsbook offer 21/103.10. With the ball for GT, Gerald Coetzee's wicket-taking ability means he has appeal at 4/15.00. he has a very healthy career strike rate of 14.9 in franchise cricket.

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