There seemed to be a trend in the IPL over the last week or so where teams with long losing streaks were suddenly popping back to life. The Mumbai Indians, alongside the Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, were one of the franchises who participated in what seemed like a mass resurrection.
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Of course, these patterns don’t generally hold in sports, not least in a league like the IPL where matches come thick and fast, and in a format where little moments can sink even the best of teams.
The Gujarat Titans got a taste for that when they lost their second game of the season, after winning five on the trot. They continue to lead the table despite that, with eight wins from the first 10 games in the franchise’s history.
Mumbai’s win only took them up to two points from their nine games, making it one win in nine. They start this game bottom of the table, with no long-term prospects this season other than trying to move out of that position.
We think Gujarat will be favored going into the match once again, although the IPL odds suggest it is Mumbai that is marginally ahead. Can that be the case? Will Mumbai be able to channel this long-awaited win and upset the league leaders?
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Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Gujarat Titans | -115 |
| Mumbai Indians | -105 |
Gujarat Titans (-115)
Given how they’d come out of the auction, with gaping holes in their top-order batting roster, the Gujarat Titans were expected to have a lot of struggles of the kind that they faced in their last match.
They were three down just after the Sportsbook had ended, with players like David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan left to do a rebuilding job that is not their collective expertise. It was down to 20-year-old Sai Sudharshan to dig them out of the hole, and dig them out he did. However, the lack of balance in that batting meant Gujarat couldn’t get more than the below-par 143 that they managed.
They are still waiting on Shubman Gill to come big for them this season. Should he hit even a slight patch of form as they head into the final stages of the tournament, Gujarat can be expected to retain the overall dominance they’ve shown in the first 10 games. We get the feeling this match against Mumbai will be massively dependent on how Gill goes against a solid bowling attack.
Mumbai Indians (-105)
During their win against the Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai finally found the thing that made them so dominant in seasons past – at least three bowlers having good days on the field. The pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Riley Meredith and Daniel Sams all ended up bowling tidy spells, with Kumar Kartikeya playing a lovely holding role as well while going for only 19 from his four overs.
It allowed for Hrithik Shokeen’s 47 runs from 3 overs, a seemingly subpar one, but one that was necessary in the grand scheme of things because he ended up dismissing Jos Buttler for them.
This kind of a performance has long been the hallmark for the Mumbai Indians, and with just 159 to chase, the batting stepped up and delivered too. They will fancy their chances of a repeat performance against the Gujarat Titans, who have a decidedly easier top order to break through than the Rajasthan Royals had.
Gujarat vs Mumbai Pick
Mumbai Indians To Win (-105)
This will be the first time Mumbai faces off against Gujarat this season, and we think the Indians could have an upper hand in one sense – their bowling attack came good against a team with a good number of six-hitters in the last match.
The Titans have been masters at chasing this tournament but were somewhat exposed batting first the other night. Considering these slim margins, and a shot of confidence for Mumbai after they broke a losing habit, they might be slight favorites coming into this.
Gujarat vs Mumbai Best Bet
Both Teams To Score 160+ Runs (+125)
This game will take place at Brabourne Stadium, which has traditionally had an absolute belter of a pitch for batsmen. That has shown in the stats this season at this ground too – the average first innings score so far in the IPL has been 188. Getting 160 on this pitch is well below par, and we think both teams are capable of getting at least that much.
