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No Rickelton And Will Jacks, Bairstow To Debut; MI's Probable XI For IPL 2025 Eliminator Vs GT

Debashis Sarangi

Bairstow will likely replace Rickelton in MI XI [Source: AP, @MIPaltanFamily/X]Bairstow will likely replace Rickelton in MI XI [Source: AP, @MIPaltanFamily/X]

On Friday, Mumbai Indians (MI) will lock horns with Gujarat Titans (GT) in the eliminator clash of the ongoing IPL 2025 season. The mega face-off is scheduled at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. 

Led by Hardik Pandya, MI scripted a miraculous comeback after falling flat in the initial matches. Overall, they registered eight wins in fourteen outings. However, they could face several selection conundrums, with some players struggling with injuries and some leaving the IPL for national commitment. 

So, as the five-time champions gear up for the knockout clash, let's analyse and predict their combination. 

Jonny Bairstow To Make Debut As Rickelton's Replacement

Dynamic South African batter Ryan Rickelton has left the MI camp in order to join his national team and prepare for the World Test Championship final. Jonny Bairstow was recently signed as his replacement and will likely make his IPL 2025 debut in the eliminator. 

Bairstow has been practising wicket-keeping in the nets and he is expected to open the batting and don the keeper's hat. After hammering 191 runs at a blistering strike rate of 180.19 in the Abu Dhabi T10, the English batter starred for Joburg Super Kings in SA20, amassing 232 runs at an average of 38.67. 

Asalanka To Get In With Will Jacks Unavailable?

Just like Rickelton, English all-rounder Will Jacks has also left the IPL for national commitments. As a result, Charith Asalanka, who recently joined the team, will likely get the nod as his like-for-like replacement. 

While MI had to use Jacks as a floater, Asalanka is a natural number five and can be a valuable asset for them in the middle order. 

In 133 innings, the southpaw has slammed 2767 T20 runs at a strike rate of 128.39. More importantly, his right-arm off-spin bowling makes him an automatic choice in the absence of Jacks. 

MI Need To Address Deepak Chahar's Injury Concern

Experienced fast bowler Deepak Chahar sustained an injury in the previous encounter between MI and PBKS. He was spotted with a strapped knee in a recent video that went viral on social media. 

So, if Chahar doesn't receive fitness clearance for the eliminator, MI might bring Karn Sharma against GT. In five IPL 2025 innings, Karn has bagged seven wickets at a superb strike rate of 12. 

MI's Probable Playing XI vs GT

Jonny Bairstow, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Charith Asalanka, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar/Karn Sharma, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwini Kumar
Impact player substitute: Rohit Sharma for Ashwini Kumar