The Indian Premier League (IPL) returned for its 17th edition this Friday. The fifth match of the season on Sunday, March 24, will see two former champions face off as Gujarat Titans host Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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This is a mouth-watering opening clash for these two sides. They were the focus of the pre-auction trading window, as GT captain Hardik Pandya made a big-money move to return to Mumbai, and replace five-time IPL winner Rohit Sharma as skipper of the franchise.
With an array of stars on either side of this matchup, it should be a cracking game.
GT vs MI: Impact Players
Gujarat Titans Impact players:
Mohit Sharma, Sharath BR, Abhinav Manohar, Noor Ahmad, Manav Suthar.
Mohit Sharma comes on as an impact player for Gujarat Titans, in place of Sai Sudharsan.
Mumbai Indians Impact players:
Dewald Brevis, Romario Shepherd, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Mohammad Nabi.
Dewald Brevis, the young Protean, replaces Luke Wood as the impact player in the Mumbai Indians XI.
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GT vs MI: Prediction
Gujarat Titans are a formidable team, especially at home. To add to this, captain Shubman Gill has an outstanding record at this ground. They also have a ready-made replacement for Hardik Pandya in the form of Azmatullah Omarzai but even if he does not play, this is a superbly constructed outfit.
While GT's strength is in the collective, MI have an array of star individuals both young and old. The likes of Hardik, Tim David, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah are all capable of winning a match single-handedly. However, the possible absences of Suryakumar Yadav and Gerald Coetzee could hit them hard. Expect a hard-fought contest, but with Gujarat just coming out on top.
GT vs MI: Betting odds
MI are slight favourites to win the match according to Betting Odds via Dafabet.
| Team | Odds |
| Gujarat Titans | 2.15 |
| Mumbai Indians | 1.80 |
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