New Delhi: five-time champion mumbai indians are going through a tough IPL 2026 season, finishing at the bottom of the table with just one win from five games and a net run rate of -1.076. The Hardik Pandya-led side will look to revive their season when they take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans have bounced back strongly to register three consecutive wins after losing their first two games. Their bowling unit has rediscovered its rhythm with Prasidh Krishna being the leading wicket-taker and Rashid Khan dominating the middle order. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada also appear to be on good terms.Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, struggled to gain momentum. They are on a four-game losing streak after snapping a long losing streak in their opening games.When MI takes on GT, here are five key battles that could impact the game:Shubman Gill VS Jasprit BumrahThis can be said to be a headline conflict. Gill has been in fine form this season while Bumrah, despite financial constraints, is still looking for his first wicket. Historically, Bumrah has kept Gill in check – the GT skipper has scored just 34 runs off 38 balls at a strike rate of 89.5 and has been dismissed twice, managing just 4 boundaries and no six balls.Rohit Sharma vs Kagiso RabadaIf Rohit is fit, it will be a good fight. Rohit’s elegance complements Rabada’s pace and discipline. In the T20 season, Rohit scored 38 out of 27 balls against Rabada with a strike rate of 140.7, but was dismissed twice, including 14 penalties, which highlighted Rabada’s control.
Rashid Khan VS Hardik PandyaFew bowlers are able to contain Hardik when he comes on, but Rashid has done it more often than not. Pandya scored just 28 runs from 38 balls at a strike rate of 73.7 against Rashid and was dismissed twice, with 22 penalties underlining Rashid’s dominance.Ashok Sharma vs Suryakumar YadavSuryakumar Yadav has the ability to turn things around, but his poor form has hurt MI this season. He scored just 106 points in five games at an average of 21.20, including just 1 point in the last game. GT may deploy their pace weapon Ashok Sharma, who consistently bowls above 150 kmph and has taken six wickets in five games.Shardul Thakur vs Glenn PhillipsGlenn Phillips can be devastating in games, but he has struggled to be consistent this season, scoring just 61 points in five games. Thakur can be used to keep him quiet. The encounter was limited in scope – Phillips faced only two balls from Thakur and failed to score – but it was still an interesting matchup.
