"Looking forward to the Afghan spin twins against Suryakumar Yadav" - Tom Moody ahead of Qualifier 2 between GT and MI
Tom Moody recently predicted that the contest between Suryakumar Yadav and Afghanistan spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will be a treat to watch in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023.
The Gujarat Titans (GT) will take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) in a knockout fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, May 26.
Speaking about player battles to watch out for, here's what Tom Moody told ESPNcricinfo:
"I am looking forward to the Afghan spin twins against Suryakumar Yadav. You've got arguably the best T20 player in the world, and you've got the best spinner in the world in Rashid Khan and his understudy. That little side plot is going to be fascinating to watch."
It is worth mentioning that Rashid Khan hasn't dismissed Suryakumar in IPL's history. The two have squared off against each other nine times, and the dynamic batter has mustered 67 runs off 47 balls against the star leg spinner.
During the same discussion, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that Gujarat should consider making a few changes to their playing XI for the contest. He opined that Hardik Pandya and Co. could replace Dasun Shanaka with left-arm pacer Josh Little.
"Perhaps they played somebody like a Dasun Shanaka because of Chepauk," Manjrekar said. "Maybe they needed somebody with some international experience who plays spin well. But I don't think that was a great move. So, they'll go back to Josh Little, there's no doubt about that."
Which team will face CSK in the finals? 🤩
#IPL2023 #CSK #GT #crickettwitter https://t.co/kD5yWPJSE3
The defending champions GT suffered a heartbreaking 15-run loss to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Qualifier 1. They will look to bounce back by clinching victory in the do-or-die contest against Mumbai.
"They'll be running on adrenaline" - Tom Moody on MI ahead of Qualifier 2
Tom Moody emphasized that MI will be high on confidence, thanks to their recent wins in the tournament. He mentioned that Rohit Sharma and Co. will have momentum on their side, given that they secured a comprehensive 81-run win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Eliminator.
"Mumbai will be buoyed by that terrific performance in Chennai, a dominant performance in Chennai," Moody elaborated. "Even though it's a quick turnaround for them, but still they'll be running on adrenaline. Yes, GT are a good side, and they have been consistent throughout this tournament, but this juggernaut from Mumbai is gathering momentum."
Sanjay Manjrekar, on the other hand, claimed that Gujarat will look like a lot better team than they seemed against Chennai as they return to their home ground.
"They are back to Ahmedabad, where it's been a high-scoring venue. So, Titians will look a different team, a better team, compared to how they looked at Chepauk," Manjrekar remarked.
It is worth mentioning that Gujarat completed a comfortable 55-run win over Mumbai when the two sides locked horns in a league fixture in Ahmedabad. However, MI went on to win their home encounter against the Titans by 27 runs.