Cricket betting tips: IPL – Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians preview and best bets

Cricket betting tips: Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians

2pts Suryakumar Yadav top Mumbai Indians batsman at 5/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

SURYAKUMAR YADAV led the way with aplomb for Mumbai Indians last season, the elevation to the top four in the batting order helping him take his game to the next level and finish with 605 runs at an average of 43.21. His strike-rate was a frightening 181.13.

SKY, as he is known, is right up there with the very best T20 batsmen in the game – he averages 45.55 in this format for India – and when last season ended, he was over 150 runs clear of teammates Ishan Kishan and Cameron Green in the runs charts. The latter is out of picture now, having moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru this term.

There is talent down the order, plenty of it, but SKY is clearly the main men for the tournament favourites and he top scored with 61 from only 38 balls when these two sides met in the Qualifier on this very ground last year, so this venue and surface clearly suits well.

Another big year is surely in the offing and while there is any 5/1 knocking about (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook), SKY can't be missed in the top Mumbai batsman market. 4/1 would appear fair enough, too.

CLICK HERE to back Yadav with Sky Bet

The match odds make for interesting reading, with Mumbai backed into 8/11 favouritism at the time writing.

Signing Hardik Pandya back from Sunday's opponents, Gujarat Titans, along with having bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah fit again, means Mumbai should be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Titans in the mix for title honours again

Neverthless, don't write off the Titans who won the IPL in 2023 and topped the league table last year before losing a dramatic final to Chennai Super Kings on the very last ball.

They are a fine outfit who will continue to pack a punch and with Shubman Gill at the top of the order, they should continue to make big runs.

That match kicks off at 14:00 UK time on Sunday, while Rajasthan Royals entertain Lucknow Super Kings in the earlier match at 10:00.

Again, I wouldn't be certain the market has this right, with the Royals looking very short at 8/11.

On their day, with Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order, the Royals can beat anyone, but they imploded badly last season and I'm not sure they did particularly good business at the auction.

LSG are rock-solid and will continue to outrun their odds, for all I'm not keen to get too heavily involved at short prices at this stage of the season, with so many unknowns remaining.

Preview published at 1635 GMT on 22/03/24

Related links

• Click here for Sky Bet's cricket odds
• Latest Cricket Only Bettor IPL Podcast Part I
• Latest Cricket Only Bettor IPL Podcast Part II

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