IPL 2026: No Rohit Sharma! MI hand two debut caps as GT opt to field

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2026 clash, backing conditions that could favour chasing later in the evening.

“It looks like a decent wicket, honestly. There was a bit of dew in the last match. So just in case there is today, I think it would make more sense. Always good to have a target on the board and then try to chase it down,” Gill said at the toss. He also highlighted his side’s strong new-ball bowling and the impact of Rashid Khan in the middle overs, adding that GT were unchanged for the contest.

For Mumbai, the big talking point was the absence of Rohit Sharma, while captain Hardik Pandya confirmed two debutants in the XI — Krish Bhagat and Danish Malewar.

“We would have fielded as well. We had to regroup and speak about what MI stands for. This time we want to make sure we play some good cricket. Just backing each other. Want to go out there and play good cricket. We need to play good cricket overall. Need to get better as a group. Danish makes his debut, Krish is also playing today,” Hardik said.

Mumbai Indians come into the match under pressure, having lost four consecutive games after their opening win against Kolkata Knight Riders, leaving them at the bottom of the table. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, have had a steadier campaign with three wins from five matches, placing them sixth and looking to build further momentum.

Teams:

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock(w), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar