IPL 2025 Eliminator: GT vs MI Preview, Prediction, Starting XI and Where To Watch The Match LIVE

Gujarat Titans will face Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Friday, May 30.

GT vs MI: Preview

Washington Sundar spun around after a flawless delivery and headed straight to assistant coach Aashish Kapoor for a high-five—well deserved. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, who simply couldn’t stop batting or smashing his own bowlers around the empty stadium, had just been dismissed by the spinner during the nets. The Tuesday evening session was wrapped in uncertainty—at that moment, the Gujarat Titans still didn’t know which of the two playoff matches in Chandigarh they’d be playing.

Yet, it was business as usual as Sudharsan kept going. After about 45 minutes, he was replaced by another batting powerhouse, Shubman Gill. With Jos Buttler unavailable for the playoffs, these two will need to maximize their batting efforts heading into a knockout clash against the title-hungry Mumbai Indians.

But the tournament heavyweights face not just one, but two challengers on Friday—a determined Gujarat Titans and the weight of history. Since the playoffs system began, no team finishing fourth has ever claimed the championship. Out of 14 titles, 13 have been won by the top two seeds, and only once has a team taken the longer Eliminator-Qualifier 2 path to victory—Sunrisers Hyderabad from third place in 2016. Still, when a team like Mumbai Indians has won so often, there’s always a chance for the unexpected and unprecedented. Even from fourth place, MI will carry the confident swagger of champions after battling their way through six consecutive wins to get there.

That said, the Titans have no reason to believe they’ve landed in the worst possible spot after missing out on a top-two finish. Just two seasons ago, they decisively eliminated a similarly fourth-placed Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier on their way to the final. While the Titans may not yet be considered an IPL powerhouse, they’ve been the most consistent team since their debut in 2022, boasting 37 wins in 59 matches, reaching two finals and clinching one title. More importantly, they bounced back swiftly after the upheaval that saw their title-winning captain Hardik Pandya return home to Mumbai. This season, GT also ended MI’s mid-season invincibility by snapping their six-game winning streak.

Before IPL 2025 began, Gujarat Titans (GT) appeared to have a weakness in their batting lineup. While their top three was strong and they had several reliable finishers, the middle order seemed somewhat fragile. Despite this, GT secured third place in the league stage and will now take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator at New Chandigarh on Friday. The winner advances to Qualifier 2, edging closer to the final, while the loser faces elimination.

Throughout their journey to the playoffs, GT leaned heavily on their top three. In most matches, at least one of Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, or Jos Buttler batted deep enough that the middle order was seldom tested. On the few occasions when an early wicket fell, Sherfane Rutherford and Shahrukh Khan demonstrated that the supposed middle-order gap wasn’t as significant as anticipated.

However, the season’s disruption stalled GT’s momentum. Poised for a top-two finish, they lost their final two league matches and slipped to third place. Now, with Buttler departing for England duty, GT’s first game without him is the Eliminator. His replacement, Kusal Mendis, is a capable batsman but not quite at Buttler’s level. Additionally, Mendis has never played in the IPL before, and his last competitive innings was over a month ago.

Gujarat Titans were arguably the only franchise to build their squad primarily around their bowling. However, with Mohammed Siraj’s form declining and Rashid Khan never quite hitting his stride this season, their once-strongest department now appears less formidable. In their last three matches, they conceded 199, 235, and 230 runs respectively.

Gujarat Titans have showcased unmatched consistency at the top of their order. For the first time in IPL history, a team has relied on the same three openers throughout the entire league phase. However, that streak will come to an end in the playoffs with Buttler’s absence.

GT have been the strongest batting unit in the tournament, boasting an average of 35.61 per wicket and a strike rate of 157.59—second only to PBKS’s 160.58.

Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, boast a lineup full of stars, but not all have been performing at their best. Suryakumar Yadav leads their scoring with 640 runs, while the next highest, Ryan Rickelton, trails by 252 runs—and he won’t be available for the playoffs. Following him is Rohit Sharma with 329 runs.

Unlike Kusal Mendis for GT, MI’s replacement for Rickelton is an experienced IPL player: Jonny Bairstow. Recently, Bairstow scored twin fifties for Yorkshire, though in a red-ball format. Will Jacks, who has also left MI for England duty, doesn’t leave as significant a gap. Based on recent form, their bowling unit looks stronger than GT’s.

Still, GT can take heart from having defeated MI in both league encounters. In fact, MI have yet to secure a win against any of the other three playoff teams. Despite a six-match winning streak mid-season, two losses in their last three league games have dented their aura of invincibility.

In the IPL, MI captain Hardik Pandya has dismissed GT captain Shubman Gill four times in just 23 balls, conceding only 19 runs. GT’s Kusal Mendis has struggled against MI spinner Mitchell Santner in T20 cricket, getting out four times in 39 balls while scoring only 34 runs. Across all T20 matches, MI’s Suryakumar Yadav has scored 117 runs off 77 balls against GT spinner Rashid Khan without being dismissed. However, Rashid has had the upper hand against Hardik Pandya, conceding just 32 runs in 44 balls and claiming two wickets. MI middle-order batsman Tilak Varma has faced seven IPL deliveries from Prasidh Krishna but has been dismissed twice without scoring a run.

Suryakumar Yadav leads Mumbai Indians with an impressive 640 runs (and counting), the highest by any MI batter in a single IPL season.

On the other hand, MI have dominated with the ball, leading across all key metrics: average (22.98), strike rate (16.1), and economy rate (8.54).

GT vs MI: Recent Form

Gujarat Titans LLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Mumbai Indians LWLWW

GT vs MI: Head-to-Head

GT 5 – 2 MI: The Titans have completed a season double over Mumbai Indians and are now on a four-match winning streak against them, which includes their victory in the 2023 second qualifier.

• Matches Played: 7
• Won by Gujarat Titans: 5
• Won by Mumbai Indians: 2
• Tied: 0
• No Result: 0
• First-ever Fixture: May 6, 2022
• Most-recent Fixture: May 6, 2025

GT vs MI: Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

Another warm evening awaits, with irregular square boundary sizes adding to the challenge. Neither team has featured at this venue during the current season, so they’ll need to adjust quickly. Interestingly, both sides registered wins over PBKS here last year. This ground in New Chandigarh has offered unpredictable conditions, with previous matches producing extremes—a team losing despite posting 201, and another winning with just 111.

In Qualifier 1, PBKS were bowled out for 101 on a pitch that provided assistance to both pacers and spinners. However, a new surface will be used for the Eliminator. Friday’s forecast suggests cloudy skies, though rain isn’t expected.

GT vs MI: Team News and Starting XI

Gujarat Titans – Team News

Kusal Mendis is expected to replace Jos Buttler in Gujarat Titans’ XI and could slot in at No. 3. This is likely to be the only change for GT heading into the Eliminator.

On the other side, Rohit Sharma has enjoyed success against GT’s pace duo, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, but has found it tough against Rashid Khan in this campaign. Although Rashid hasn’t been at his sharpest this season, he continues to be effective against key MI batters—dismissing Rohit twice while conceding just 35 in 32 balls. He has also maintained control over Tilak Varma (24 runs, 2 wickets in 23 balls) and Hardik Pandya (28 runs, 2 wickets in 38 balls).

Gujarat Titans – Starting XI

1. Shubman Gill (capt)
2. B Sai Sudharsan
3. Kusal Mendis (wk)
4. Sherfane Rutherford
5. M Shahrukh Khan
6. Rahul Tewatia
7. Rashid Khan
8. Gerald Coetzee
9. Arshad Khan
10. R Sai Kishore
11. Mohammed Siraj
12. Prasidh Krishna

Mumbai Indians – Team News

Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, and Corbin Bosch have departed for the World Test Championship final, with Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, and Richard Gleeson brought in as temporary replacements. All three were seen at training on Wednesday. Bairstow is expected to slot in directly for Rickelton. The decision between Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs as Jacks’ replacement could go either way, though Asalanka’s ability to bowl offspin might give him an edge.

One of the early match-ups to watch will be Trent Boult against the GT top order. The left-arm pacer has dismissed Sai Sudharsan twice this season while conceding just 31 runs off 30 balls. He has also kept the GT captain quiet in IPL contests, giving up only 74 runs in 69 deliveries and dismissing him once. Boult has proven a threat to Sherfane Rutherford as well, removing him twice in just seven balls.

Mumbai Indians – Starting XI

1. Rohit Sharma
2. Jonny Bairstow (wk)
3. Tilak Varma
4. Suryakumar Yadav
5. Charith Asalanka/Bevon Jacobs
6. Hardik Pandya (capt)
7. Naman Dhir
8. Mitchell Santner
9. Deepak Chahar
10. Trent Boult
11. Jasprit Bumrah
12. Karn Sharma

Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians: Players To Watch Out For

Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans)

Rashid Khan, long regarded as the gold standard among T20 spinners, has endured a rare off-season in IPL 2025. In 14 matches, he has managed only nine wickets while averaging 53.66, with a high economy rate of 9.47.

The leg-spinner has also been unusually expensive, conceding 31 sixes—the joint-most by any bowler in a single IPL season, a record he now shares with Mohammed Siraj from 2022.

Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

Jasprit Bumrah, on the other hand, has bounced back strongly despite missing the opening four games due to a back injury. The ace pacer is currently tied for sixth on the wicket-takers’ chart with 17 scalps.

Remarkably, he has done so while maintaining a superb average of 14.64 and an economy rate of 6.33—both career-best figures for him in an IPL season.

GT vs MI: Prediction

Scenario 1

• Toss: Gujarat Titans win the toss and bowl first
• Mumbai Indians Powerplay Score: 60-70
• Mumbai Indians Total: 170-180
• Match Result: Gujarat Titans win the match

Scenario 2

• Toss: Mumbai Indians win the toss and bowl first
• Gujarat Titans Powerplay Score: 70-80
• Gujarat Titans Total: 180-190
• Match Result: Mumbai Indians win the match

When and Where To Watch the Eliminator LIVE? Broadcast and Streaming Details

The Indian Premier League 2025 eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians is set to begin at 7:30 PM IST on Friday, May 30, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and will also be available for live streaming on JioHotstar for FREE.

Read More: IPL 2025: RCB Crush PBKS to Book Spot in IPL 2025 Final with Record Playoff Win

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