Their absence could affect the team's balance in this must win game.
Mumbai Indians (MI) will face Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday May 30 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur Chandigarh.
MI finished fourth on the points table with 16 points after losing their last league match to Punjab Kings. Now they need to win both the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 to secure a place in the final.
MI could be without four important players who featured in their last match. Ryan Rickelton has left the squad to join South Africa for the World Test Championship final against Australia. Will Jacks has also departed as he is part of England’s One Day International squad for the ongoing series against West Indies.
To cover their absence, MI have signed replacement players. Jonny Bairstow has come in for Rickelton while Charith Asalanka has been brought in for Jacks. Both Bairstow and Asalanka are likely to be part of the playing eleven for the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans.
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Apart from the absence of Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks Mumbai Indians are also dealing with fitness concerns for Deepak Chahar and Tilak Varma. A video shared by a fan on social media showed both players with heavy bandages on their legs. They were seen struggling to walk which has raised doubts over their availability for the Eliminator.
Notably Chahar had issues with his leg during the match against Punjab Kings and had to leave the field once. Although he returned to complete his spell he appeared to be in discomfort and was clearly struggling with a hamstring problem.
Chahar bowled a maiden in his first over but gave away 28 runs in his next two overs which reflected his lack of rhythm due to the injury. His condition will be closely monitored by the team management.
Tilak Varma on the other hand injured his knee while fielding in the same game. His movement looked restricted and the strapping on his leg in the viral video has added to the concerns. MI will hope both players recover in time as their absence could affect the team’s balance in this must win game.
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