MI vs GT Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2023 match?
The Mumbai Indians (MI) have somehow wormed their way into third place in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Although MI's season has been characterized by inconsistency and an inability to defend totals, they've delivered at key times. Their power-packed batting lineup has scaled down scores with ease, and they're slowly settling on the right combination as well.
Just a week ago, it seemed like Mumbai would struggle to breach the playoff spots. But now they find themselves with a realistic chance of finishing in the top two if they win their remaining games and hope that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) slip up.
MI's opponents on Friday, May 12, haven't yet been guaranteed a top-two finish either, despite being at the very summit of the IPL 2023 table. However, the Gujarat Titans (GT), who currently have 16 points from 11 matches, will get two cracks at the final if they win at the Wankhede Stadium.
The Titans have won four of their last five league matches and have been the standout team in the competition. Their lethal bowling unit presents an excellent contrast of styles against MI, who cannot possibly match GT in that department.
The last time the two teams met in IPL 2023, Gujarat hammered Mumbai by a whopping 55 runs in Ahmedabad. Abhinav Manohar's fiery cameo, combined with important knocks from Shubman Gill and David Miller, set the tone for the home side. Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan then scalped a combined five wickets.
Can GT seal a top-two finish? Or can MI continue their surge up the points table?
IPL 2023, MI vs GT Match Prediction: Rohit Sharma vs Hardik Pandya 2.0 spices up Wankhede clash
The last clash between the two sides saw Hardik Pandya dismiss his former IPL skipper, Rohit Sharma, caught and bowled. The MI captain has had a miserable time with the bat in recent weeks and desperately needs to step up at whatever position he bats.
Hardik has shown a willingness to take the new ball, as always. At the Wankhede, though, he could go for runs - something Rohit and Ishan Kishan will be well aware of. The real battle, though, could be in the middle overs.
Suryakumar Yadav's scintillating form puts him in pole position to counter Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, while Tilak Varma's impending return will no doubt help matters. The big-hitting Tim David will also be one to watch out for.
At the same time, however, it's important to acknowledge that the result of the match might hinge entirely on the toss. Both MI and GT will definitely want to bat second in Mumbai, and the latter are more adept at defending totals. So that could tilt the scales ever so slightly in their favor.
MI's batting unit and their newfound powerplay bowling threat make them genuine contenders to upset GT. If they win the toss, they could very well win the game. Taking the coin out of the equation, though, the away side will start as the slight favorites.
Prediction: GT to win Match 57 of IPL 2023.