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WHO AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN PICK OF IPL 2024 ROUND 1
Round 1 of IPL 2024 has thrown up a number of intriguing fixtures, with Gujarat Titans against Mumbai Indians a stand-out on Sunday, 24 March.
Both teams reached last season’s playoffs, with the Titans finishing the group stage at the top of the standings with 10 wins from their 14 matches. MI, meanwhile, claimed fourth place with 8 wins.
As the playoffs unfolded, the teams met in third knockout fixture, an-all-or-nothing clash for a place in the final. Titans virtually batted MI out of the match, by scoring 233/3 on the back of Shubman Gill’s 129 off 60 - the highest score of the season. Of their SA20-signed stars, Rashid Khan had a two-ball cameo while David Miller was not required and Noor Ahmad’s job with the ball was still to come. MI’s chase never really took off, and they were eventually bowled out for 171 (Rashid claiming 2/33 and Noor 0/35) – handing Titans a 62-run and a revenge fixture against Chennai Super Kings in the season finale.
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Unfortunately for Khan, Miller and Noor there was no revenge as CSK secured a last-ball victory to claim a record-equalling fifth IPL title.
Of course, that puts them level with MI, but that’s not the only ‘spice’ to Sunday's clash at Narendra Modi Stadium. One of the biggest stories of the off-season was erstwhile Titans captain Hardik Pandya being traded to MI, and subsequently being handed their captaincy at the expense of Rohit Sharma – the national captain.
SA20 PLAYERS ON SHOW
Gujarat Titans: Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, David Miller
Mumbai Indians: Dewald Brevis, Gerald Coetzee, Kwena Maphaka, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara
CLASH TO WATCH OUT FOR
Having recently taken a hattrick for Sri Lanka, Nuwan Thushara has done his claim on a MI Playing XI berth no harm and should he do so, the chances of him being called into action when David Miller reaches the crease for Titans is a likelihood.
Thushara has claimed his wicket before in another short-format tournament, and made his SA20 debut against Miller’s Paarl Royals earlier this year. Miller actually suffered a calf strain, and retired hurt, while Thushara was bowling his spell in that meeting at Boland Park so there remains some unfinished business between the pair.
PLAYER TO WATCH OUT FOR
Tearaway quick Gerald Coetzee will be making his IPL debut this campaign, after Mumbai Indians snapped him up in the auction, but he has not been out in the middle since injuring his calf against India in the Boxing Day Test.
Not too dissimilarly, Rashid Khan also sat out SA20 Season 2 with injury, but made his return in Afghanistan’s T20I series against Ireland and showed no rustiness – claiming 8 wickets in the three matches. Considering the leg-spinner and lower-order hitter is signed to MI’s franchises in South Africa, the UAE and USA, him playing against them in the IPL will always be slightly weird but will undoubtedly also motivate him to perform.
