Predicted XIs, Pitch and Weather Report, Head-to-Head Ahead of Wankhede Clash.
May 6, 2025
Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans are set to lock horns in a pivotal IPL 2025 showdown at Wankhede Stadium tonight, with both franchises gunning for playoff qualification.
Playoff Race Heats Up
Mumbai Indians (MI), currently third on the table, are flying high after six consecutive wins and boast the best Net Run Rate in the league. With three matches left, they need just two more wins to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Gujarat Titans (GT), sitting in fourth, also require two victories from their remaining four fixtures to stay in the hunt.
Key Players to Watch
GT’s top order has been on fire — B Sai Sudharsan (504 runs), Jos Buttler (470), and Shubman Gill (465) form a formidable trio. But MI’s bowling unit, featuring Trent Boult (16 wickets), Jasprit Bumrah (11), and Hardik Pandya (13 wickets, 157 runs), has been in stellar form, not conceding more than 200 in any of their last six outings.
GT have a solid record both batting first and chasing, although their middle order remains patchy, with Sherfane Rutherford (201 runs) the only consistent contributor beyond the top three.
For MI, the batting stars are aligning — Suryakumar Yadav (475), Ryan Rickelton (334), and Rohit Sharma (293) have hit form just when it matters most. However, GT’s pace spearhead Prasidh Krishna (19 wickets) could pose problems. The team may miss Kagiso Rabada, still under a provisional suspension.
Pitch Report – Wankhede Stadium
The surface in Mumbai features 63-meter boundaries square and 73 meters straight. There’s a healthy layer of grass on top, but the soil underneath is dry and slightly coarse. Expect some early grip for the spinners and slower balls, with the pitch likely to get slower as the game progresses. Chasing under lights could be advantageous, although humidity may complicate things.
Weather Forecast – Mumbai
Skies over Mumbai are expected to be mostly cloudy with light afternoon showers possible. By match time, rain chances drop dramatically — from 48% at 6 PM to just 2% at toss time. The game should go ahead uninterrupted, though players will have to contend with high humidity (above 80%) and a sticky 30°C evening that will feel closer to 35°C.
Predicted XIs
Mumbai Indians:
Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Impact Player: Karn Sharma
Gujarat Titans:
B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Impact Player: Ishant Sharma
Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 6
- MI Wins: 2
- GT Wins: 4
Full Squads
Mumbai Indians:
Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ryan Rickelton, Robin Minz, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Arjun Tendulkar, and more.
Gujarat Titans:
Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler, B Sai Sudharsan, Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Gerald Coetzee, R Sai Kishore, and others.
Prediction:
With so much riding on tonight’s fixture, expect fireworks at the Wankhede as both teams chase critical points in the playoff race and the visitors to clinch victory in a tightly fought encounter.