Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has clarified the reason behind Kagiso Rabada’s absence from the playing XI in a crucial clash against Mumbai Indians. Speaking at the toss, Gill explained, “Rabada is back, but he will need a few games to get back in the groove. We are fortunate that we can use Kishore when needed. We have 6-7 bowling options.” Gujarat made one change for the match, bringing in Arshad Khan for Washington Sundar. With a well-rounded bowling attack featuring Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, and Mohammed Siraj, the Titans appear comfortable easing Rabada back into action without rushing his return. Gujarat won the toss and opted to field, hoping to exploit any early conditions against a red-hot Mumbai Indians team. MI have staged a remarkable comeback after a slow start to the season, winning six matches on the trot and emerging as one of the most dangerous sides in the playoff race. Three teams — Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad — have already been eliminated from the tournament. With just 15 league games remaining, every match is now critical, especially for contenders like Gujarat and Mumbai.

Tonight’s showdown features two power-packed line-ups and could have major implications on the points table as the race to the playoffs intensifies.

Gujrat Titans

(Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Mumbai Indians

(Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah