In the lead up to the IPL 2025 Eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill found themselves in a difficult situation at the toss. For a brief moment, it seemed like Hardik was going to offer Gill his hand as he faced Ravi Shastri for the post-toss discussion after winning the toss. At the same time, Gill seemed to react, but both captains hesitated and backed off, leading to an obvious awkward exchange that was quickly captured by cameras.

Hardik walked right up to Shastri after the strange quiet that followed, without the usual handshake.

Catch Out:

Immediately after the toss, MI's hitting coach Kieron Pollard walked over to Hardik Pandya and gave the captain a firm handshake, almost as if to demonstrate how it should be done.

As both teams seek to stay in the competition, Hardik chose to bat in Mullanpur. The winner will face Punjab Kings, who were defeated by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Qualifier 1 on Thursday, while the loser will be knocked out.

Both the Mumbai Indians and the Gujarat Titans struggled with pressure and form difficulties going into the IPL 2025 Eliminator. With foreign players like Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks unavailable due to national duty, Mumbai, the five-time champions, had their own set of worries, particularly in the batting department.

With the team still heavily dependent on the in-form Suryakumar Yadav, who has amassed over 600 runs this season, Rohit Sharma and maybe Jonny Bairstow were left to open.

In contrast, the Gujarat Titans, formerly thought of as serious contenders for the championship, struggled to make it to the playoffs after suffering consecutive big losses, during which their bowlers gave up 465 runs in two matches. With Rashid Khan out of sync and the speed attack failing to work as a unit, their already strained bowling squad seemed even more weakened. Without Jos Buttler at the top, Captain Shubman Gill was left to lead a shaky middle order.

Their victory will put them against the Punjab Kings, who are still a formidable foe despite their potential low spirits after being humiliated by RCB by 8 wickets, but who are still at the top of the IPL 2025 standings.

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