Who is playing
Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Gujarat Giants (GG)
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, 7.30pm ist
What to expect: first place at stake
The giants have to win to entertain the thoughts of finishing at number 1. Mumbai has a game in hand and can even get there on Monday, but then it will mean a tripartite draw if they beat RCB. They would like to avoid this logjam, after having been in a similar position last year and then see RCB beat them in the eliminator.
The giants are in a bull race, having won more games (three) during the past week than all last season. But there is one thing they have not yet done: to overcome the Indians of Mumbai, who have a 5-0 record against them in the brief history of the tournament. If that was not enough pressure, they will now face the challenge of playing the Mumbai Indians of Harmanpreet Kaur in Mumbai, in the Brabourne Stadium, where they have not yet lost a single game.
Mumbai looks equally strong, but has changed his batting combinations courtesy of the prolonged thin career of Yastika Bhatia. In his previous game, Amelia Kerr was promoted to open with Hayley Mathews. It remains to be seen if this will be your plan in the back too. If so, it could mean a greater responsibility for the batting of Sajana and Amanjot Kaur in the medium order.
Form guide
Mumbai Indians WLWWW (last five games, the most recent first)
Gujarat giants Wwwll
Team news
D The poor Hemalatha race at the top of the order can force a change. Simran Shaikh, who plays for Mumbai in the domestic cricket, could get a look to inject a lower order fire power.
Gujarat Giants (Probable XI): 1 Beth Mooney, 2 Phoebe Lichfield, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ash Gardner (CAPT), 5 Deandra Dottin, 6 Simran Shaikh, 7 Kashvee Gautam, 8 Bharti Fulmali, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 Priya Mishra Mishra Mishra
Mumbai has no reason to play with his XI.
Mumbai Indians (probable XI): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Amelia Kerr, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur, 5 amanjot kaur, 6 Yastika Bhatia (WK), 7 g Kamalini, 8 S Sajana, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 9 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Paraunika Sisodia
Players to see: Kashvee Gautam and Hayley Matthews
Statistics that matter
The giants have most wickts (13) among all teams in the power game this season.
The 17 Sixes of Ash Gardner are the most important this season. There are no Mumbai Indians in the first five.
Mumbai’s economy of 8.6 is the highest in the power game this season. They have also collected the most articular Wickts (9) in this phase.
Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent in Espncricinfo
