Mumbai Indians came into their IPL 2026 clash with Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Monday after a rough stretch, having suffered four defeats in just five outings. The side responded by shaking up its playing XI, bringing in two fresh faces and making notable omissions ahead of the toss.
Quick facts
- Mumbai Indians made big XI changes for their IPL 2026 match vs Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Monday.
- Krish Bhagat and Danish Malewar were named in the playing XI as debutants.
- Ryan Rickelton and Deepak Chahar were left out of the Mumbai Indians squad for this match.
- Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- GT captain Shubman Gill backed his team’s early bowling and spoke about the impact of dew.
- MI captain Hardik Pandya discussed regrouping and the need to start winning.
Krish Bhagat and Danish Malewar were handed their debuts as Mumbai adjusted its balance for the meeting at the venue in Ahmedabad. Alongside the inclusions, Ryan Rickelton and Deepak Chahar were not part of the final XI, a sign that the franchise wanted a different look in the batting and bowling mix.
Bhagat, a 21-year-old right-handed all-rounder, represents Punjab and is viewed as a flexible option in the lower order. Mumbai expect him to add value with the bat while also offering the ability to bowl right-arm fast. The franchise has kept tabs on him for a couple of years, including a period of involvement with the Mumbai Indians trials.
His preparation also included the Reliance team in the DY Patil T20 Cup in 2026. Since pre-season this year, he has worked as a support bowler with the Mumbai Indians setup, building experience with the squad ahead of this opportunity.
Danish Malewar’s route to the call-up
For Danish Malewar, the breakthrough has come through steady domestic performances. The Nagpur batter has been consistently productive for Vidarbha across formats, which paved the way for his maiden IPL call-up. Mumbai Indians secured him at the 2026 auction for INR 30 lakh.
With Malewar’s addition, Mumbai have brought in another right-handed batter into the XI, hoping his domestic consistency translates quickly to the high-pressure demands of IPL cricket.
Gill’s toss call and match plan
After winning the toss, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill elected to bowl first. Gill described the pitch as “decent” and pointed out that dew had played a role in the previous match, suggesting it could be a factor again. He felt a chase could be set up effectively if the team continued with its attacking approach early.
Gill also highlighted the importance of the bowling rhythm in the powerplay and early overs, calling it a major positive for Gujarat even in the games before. He singled out Rashid Khan as a key influence in the middle overs, expressing confidence they can keep that momentum going.
Looking further ahead, Gill said it is always beneficial to begin the tournament strongly, noting that a good start can help teams build towards a strong season across a long campaign. He added that playing against Mumbai Indians is a “solid team” challenge and said Gujarat would stick with the same side for this match.
Pandya on regrouping
With the toss lost, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya spoke after the decision about how the group is adjusting following their season’s early turbulence. He referenced that they would have fielded as well, underlining that the mindset within the squad is geared towards responding to whichever first-innings plan comes their way.
Pandya described the match as the last game for the group in that phase, explaining that the team had to regroup and talk through what Mumbai stands for and the style of cricket they want to play. He said the dressing room conversations were productive, with players eager to get onto the field.
When asked about bouncing back from similar situations, Pandya said the team has done so “more often than not.” His focus for this game was to begin winning, tick the required boxes at the right moments, and keep supporting one another—staying united and sticking by each other as the season moves on.
