It’s going to be a Western Indian Derby when the Gujarat Titans take on the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator of the IPL at the new PCA Stadium on Friday. The losers will bid goodbye to the tournament, while the winners will travel to Ahmedabad for Qualifier 2, to be played on Sunday. MI are bidding to hit the IPL for a six, having already won the coveted title five times, the last one coming in 2020, while GT, led by new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill, will be out to thwart their designs and keep their hopes of a second title alive. IPL 2025: Fierce pace duo, Jasprit Bumrah-Trent Boult gear up to face GT in Eliminator

GT openers Sai Sudharsan (left) and Shubman Gill who have put on three 100-plus run partnerships this season. Pic/AFP

Early wickets vital

MI will be wary of GT on two counts. Firstly, GT openers Gill and rising star Sai Sudharsan more often than not have given their team solid starts. The duo is in phenomenal form and currently are the top two run-getters, with Sudharsan heading the list with 679 runs from 14 matches, followed by Gill with 649. MI thus have their task cut out and know exactly where to strike to gain the upper hand. That job will have to be performed by the MI pace bowling pair of Jasprit Bumrah (with 17 wickets) and Trent Boult (with 19 scalps). Their bowling prowess has been largely responsible for the revival of MI after they had made their customary poor start before recovering to just about make it to the Playoffs.