Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

Will the real Mumbai Indians (MI) please stand up? The five-time IPL champions have won just four of their past 11 matches dating back to the start of last season. Their loss against Chennai Super Kings last weekend is not cause for panic especially given they haven’t won a season opener in over a decade, but similar flaws were present, especially on the batting front.

At Chepauk, MI lost wickets far too regularly. In the end, they managed 155/9 thanks Deepak Chahar’s late cameo. Hardik Pandya’s return can surely help, but they’ll need a better start up top, with the onus on Rohit Sharma in particular to perform.

With the ball, Vignesh Puthur made an immediate impression and gives the MI attack another dimension. Puthur along with Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Mitchell Santner forms a decent core that can challenge the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Onto GT. They showed good signs themselves against Punjab Kings, but the pre-tournament worries came to the fore. Their pace attack, while all capable bowlers, have a sense of “sameness” about them, which can be costly at the death. With the bat, GT were on track to chase 240+, but a loss of momentum in the middle is what they need to avoid.

Who will come out on top in this important early season match? In this article, we will look at the possible XIIs, Ahmedabad pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 9th match of IPL 2025.

IPL 2025 9th Match: GT vs MI Possible Playing XIIs

Gujarat Titans may consider playing Glenn Phillips and Washington Sundar.

Gujarat Titans: 1. Sai Sudharsan, 2. Shubman Gill (c), 3. Jos Buttler (OS, wk), 4. Sherfane Rutherford/Glenn Phillips (OS), 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Arshad Khan/Washington Sundar, 8. Sai Kishore, 9. Rashid Khan (OS), 10. Kagiso Rabada (OS), 11. Mohammed Siraj, 12. Prasidh Krishna

Hardik Pandya returns following his suspension.

Mumbai Indians: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Ryan Rickelton (OS, wk), 3. Will Jacks (OS), 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Hardik Pandya (c), 7. Naman Dhir, 8. Mitchell Santner (OS), 9. Deepak Chahar, 10. Trent Boult (OS), 11. Satyanarayana Raju, 12. Vignesh Puthur

Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad Pitch Report and Weather

It was a belter of a batting pitch earlier this week for the GT-PBKS match, where 475 runs were scored. Expect another excellent batting surface here, with the captain who wins the toss likely to choose to chase.

The average first innings score at Ahmedabad in IPL 2024 was 172.5. Scores ranged from as low as 89 to as high at 231. The chasing team won six of eight games.

A hot and clear evening is forecast with a top of around 33 degrees at 7:30pm local time.

GT vs MI Fantasy Cricket Tips: Top Picks/Key Players to Watch

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Jos Buttler is coming off a half-century in the opening game against PBKS (54 off 33 balls). He has never been dismissed by either Deepak Chahar (41 balls, 63 runs) or Trent Boult (50 balls, 79 runs) in T20s.
• Ryan Rickelton was looking in sublime form against CSK with three magnificent shots off the backfoot. He was dismissed for just 13 in the end, but it was against the run of play. He also had a superb SA20 campaign earlier this year: 8 inns, 336 runs, avg. 48.00, SR 178.72.

Key batter picks:

• Since the start of 2022, Shubman Gill has struck 274 runs against MI at an average of 54.80 and strike rate of 170.19. Also, Gill loves batting at Ahmedabad: 1,112 T20 runs, avg. 69.5, SR 164.74.
• Since the start of 2024, Sai Sudharsan has struck 601 runs at an average of 50.1 and strike rate of 145.2 in the IPL. This includes a 41-ball 74 in the last game.
• Suryakumar Yadav is a vc option in Dream11. SKY has outstanding numbers against GT, with 200 runs in four matches at an average of 66.67 and strike rate of 181.82. He has had the better of Rashid Khan (64 balls, 102 runs, no dismissal) and Mohammed Siraj (26 balls, 57 runs, one dismissal) in T20s.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Hardik Pandya is back and is a must-pick considering his form. Also, Pandya knows this ground very well with 351 runs (avg. 31.91, SR 137.65) and 12 wickets (econ. 7.45, SR 23.50).
• Will Jacks batted at three and bowled four overs in MI’s first game. GT have a few left-handers MI could use Jacks’ offspin for.

Key bowler picks:

• Rashid Khan is searching for his best form, but he remains too good to leave out of your Dream11 teams. He has taken ten wickets in his past five matches against MI. Also, he has smashed 91 runs at a strike rate of 233.33 with the bat in this time.
• Kagiso Rabada has some decent matchups. He has dismissed Rohit Sharma four times (76 balls, 90 runs) and Suryakumar Yadav three times (55 balls, 87 runs) in the IPL.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Tips

• Consider Deepak Chahar. He is a powerplay specialist and has an excellent record against Shubman Gill in the IPL (55 balls, 78 runs, four wickets).
• Trent Boult can find swing upfront and also comes back to bowl in the crunch overs, which provides wicket-taking opportunities.
• Mitchell Santner can be a wicket-taking factor given the larger boundaries at Ahmedabad.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 5, GT 3, MI 2.
• GT have beaten MI in all three meetings at this ground.
• Jos Buttler in T20s at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad: 9 inns, 371 runs, avg. 53.00, SR 148.4.
• Trent Boult vs Shubman Gill in the IPL: 58 balls, 59 runs, one dismissal.
• Kagiso Rabada vs Hardik Pandya in the IPL: 37 balls, 53 runs, one dismissal.
• Rashid Khan vs Tilak Varma in the IPL: 16 balls, 19 runs, two dismissals.

IPL 2025 9th Match: GT vs MI Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2025 9th Match: GT vs MI Match Prediction – Who will win?

A very tough match to pick. Both teams have their weaknesses and strengths. With Hardik Pandya back, MI have it in them to edge this one.