Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. MI will be hoping to register back-to-back wins after opening their account against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their previous match. However, skipper Rohit Sharma can bring back premium leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin in place of Hrithik Shokeen to add depth to their bowling line-up and to tackle the hard-hitting finishers in the GT batting line-up.
Here's how MI can line up to face GT:
Ishan Kishan: Despite starting the tournament on a bright note, Ishan has somewhat fizzled out and has failed to take his team over the line on countless occasions this season. The MI contingent would want him to improve on his current stats - 225 runs at a strike-rate of just over 110.
Rohit Sharma: The skipper needs to stand up and lead from the front. After their first win in nine games this season, his innings against current league leaders GT could very well define how MI end their tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav: The run-machine has again been the only consistent performer for MI in IPL 2022. With the bat, he is almost averaging 49 and boasts of an impressive strike-rate of 147.21.
Tilak Varma: Another positive for MI this time around has been the performances of the youngster. The batter has showcased immense gumption in testing conditions against the best of attacks the tournament has to offer.
Kieron Pollard: One of the biggest reasons of MI's torrid run has been Pollard's form with the bat as well with the ball this season. The giant hitter hasn't looked his part and is posing a lot of questions for skipper Rohit in the middle-order.
Tim David: The Singapore player showcased his big-hitting abilities during his excellent knock of 20 runs in just 9 balls which helped MI chase down the 159-run target.
Murugan Ashwin: The leg-spinner may be included in place of Hrithik Shokeen to tackle the hard-hitting finishers in the GT side. Although Ashwin has had a below-par tournament, he could be given another go.
Daniel Sams: He has repeatedly proved his selection right with priceless wickets. But his economy in the power-play has been a big worry so far this IPL.
Jasprit Bumrah: Against RR, Bumrah played his part to perfection and bowled some intimidating lines and lengths. However, he went wicketless which is something that has been a cause of concern for Rohit.
Kumar Kartikeya: He bowled exceptionally well vs RR. His figures read 19 runs in 4 overs, which included the priceless wicket of RR skipper Sanju Samson.
Riley Meredith: The pacer ripped apart the RR middle-order with the wickets of Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin. The quick wickets derailed RR's surge to a big score.