It is time for the Eliminator of IPL 2025, and we have two sides who are going to give it their  all on the Friday night. Both sides have faltered slightly in their last game or two, but this  match carries a do-or-die intensity, it’s effectively a knockout now. These are two teams  with proven credentials, both former champions, and both familiar with high-stakes situations. 

As I mentioned in my previous article, matches like this are all about handling pressure and  managing expectations. What stands out to me is the strength of the bowling attacks on  both sides. Any team with Jasprit Bumrah is bound to have an edge, and Mumbai’s bowling  unit, in particular, is one of the most well-established and dependable in the league. 

Right from the start of the tournament, once the auction was done, I felt that the missing  pieces in the Mumbai Indians’ jigsaw were Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner. While Santner  hasn’t featured in every match, I still believe he has a crucial role to play in this one. Boult,  too, could be key, provided Deepak Chahar is fit—a bit of a question mark at this stage. If  he is, Mumbai’s bowling lineup, featuring Bumrah and Santner, becomes a truly formidable  force. Add to that Hardik Pandya, and they’ve got most of their bases well covered. 

That said, both sides are now dealing with the same challenge: player unavailability due to  some overseas players returning home. Mumbai is missing Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks,  and there’s uncertainty around Tilak Varma’s fitness as well. As a result, their batting  lineup feels a bit patched together at the moment. 

This naturally shifts more responsibility onto the shoulders of Rohit Sharma and  Suryakumar Yadav. Thankfully for Mumbai, SKY has been in scintillating form throughout  the tournament and remains a major force with the bat. 

Rohit Sharma has had his moments this season, but in a high-stakes game like this— especially with Mumbai’s batting looking increasingly vulnerable due to a few key  absentees—you naturally look to your experienced players to step up. Rohit and  Suryakumar Yadav will be expected to shoulder the responsibility and help bridge any gaps  in the lineup. 

They’ll be facing a formidable bowling attack from the Gujarat Titans. Even though Kagiso  Rabada has returned home, Gujarat’s bowling unit remains incredibly strong, disciplined,  and consistent. They’ve been winning games through sheer control and execution. Siraj 

has been reliable, Gerald Coetzee has made an impressive impact since coming in, and  Prasidh Krishna has been outstanding throughout the tournament. 

Sai Kishore has quietly been one of the standout performers of the tournament, often  unheralded, but consistently effective. Rashid Khan, while not quite at his best in recent  games, remains a big-match player, and you’d expect him to rise to the occasion when it  matters most. 

A recurring theme for Gujarat Titans this season has been the dominance of their top three – Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. They’ve set the tone in nearly every match.  However, in the last couple of games, that form has dipped slightly. With Buttler now  unavailable, the responsibility shifts to his replacement, Kusal Mendis. While it’s  unrealistic to expect him to replicate everything Buttler brings, Mendis is a high-quality  international cricketer, and there will be expectations for him to step up. 

That said, a lot will depend on the middle order. Players like Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane  Rutherford, and Rahul Tewatia have the ability, but without that solid anchor at No. 3—like  Buttler—it puts additional pressure on the rest of the batting lineup to deliver under crunch  conditions. 

Just as there’s a great deal of pressure on Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav for  Mumbai, the spotlight now falls heavily on Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Both have  been outstanding throughout the tournament, and their teams will be counting on them to  deliver in a game of this magnitude. 

That said, these high-stakes matches often hinge on unexpected heroes—players who  don’t always get the headlines but end up making crucial contributions. Still, it’s hard to  look past the fact that the marquee players will likely have the biggest say in how this game  unfolds. 

With two top-class bowling attacks on either side, we’re set for a fierce contest where  every run will count. Both teams boast disciplined, skillful bowlers capable of turning the  game in a single spell. That means the batting units will need to be smart, adaptable, and  ready to innovate—whether it’s rotating strike, taking calculated risks, or capitalizing on  small windows of opportunity. In a match this tight, where margins are razor-thin, the  outcome may ultimately hinge on how well each side handles the pressure. Big names will  matter, but unsung heroes and smart decision-making could prove just as decisive.