3 factors which work in MI's favor ahead of the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2

You can never write the Mumbai Indians (MI) off in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs. Champion teams find a way to win, and that's just what the five-time champions are.

MI brushed aside the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with utter ease in the Eliminator, sending warning signs to not just the Gujarat Titans (GT), who they will face in Qualifier 2, but also the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have sealed their spot in the final.

It won't be easy for Mumbai, who will be up against the defending champions on their home turf in Ahmedabad. However, quite a few signs indicate that Rohit Sharma and Co. could reach yet another IPL final against their arch-rivals.

Here are three factors that work in MI's favor ahead of the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2.

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#3 MI only recently beat GT in the IPL 2023 league stage

Rashid Khan reduced the margin of defeat, but MI beat GT comprehensively

Not many teams have a positive head-to-head record against GT, but MI certainly do. They've won two of their three matches against the Titans, with one of those being Daniel Sams' heroic final over and the other being their victory in the recently concluded league phase.

Mumbai were carried by Suryakumar Yadav's sensational hundred as Rashid Khan's all-round show went in vain. They showed the blueprint for attacking GT on a pure batting surface as all the bowlers, barring Rashid, went for more than nine runs an over.

MI also scalped five wickets in the first eight overs of the chase, including three in the powerplay, to put Gujarat on the back foot. If not for Rashid's sensational knock, which featured a whopping 10 sixes, the margin of defeat would've been significantly higher.

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#2 Rohit Sharma and Co. have won six of their last eight matches and are peaking at the right time

Suryakumar Yadav has returned to his dangerous best in recent weeks

MI started their campaign with consecutive losses, but they've played some good cricket since then. The five-time champions have raised their game in recent weeks and have won six of their last eight matches in IPL 2023.

Mumbai are high on both confidence and form and seem to have settled on their best playing XI (or XII). Their usage of the impact player rule has also been quite predictable, leading to overall stability.

In contrast, GT have lost two of their last four matches and have been forced to make the odd change or two to their combination. Surprisingly, both those losses came while chasing, which is something the Titans have excelled at over their time in the IPL.

MI are peaking at the right time and come into this game in better form than their opponents. Speaking of form...

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#1 Almost all of Mumbai's players are in great form right now

Uncapped pacer Akash Madhwal recorded his maiden IPL five-fer in the Eliminator

There's a reason why MI have won matches of late - key players have delivered. But it's not just the big names; almost every player in the side has come up with telling performances in the recent past. Most of their displays have been supremely complete.

Rohit Sharma has made a couple of vital contributions even though his overall form has been hugely disappointing. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav are in IPL 2023's top 10 run-getters, while Cameron Green is close behind in 12th.

Youngsters Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera have been superb this year, with Tim David also coming up with a few match-winning knocks at the death. Even Vishnu Vinod, who has batted only twice, came up with a scintillating innings against GT during the league phase.

In the bowling department, meanwhile, Piyush Chawla has led the way. Jason Behrendorff has been decent with the new ball, while Akash Madhwal has truly come into his own. Even Chris Jordan escaped punishment in MI's previous game.

The vast majority of MI's side is in good form right now, and almost all of them can turn games on their own. The same can't be said about GT, with names like Hardik Pandya, David Miller, and Wriddhiman Saha having failed to live up to expectations in IPL 2023.