Malewar steps in as Rohit misses out again
Danish Malewar will make his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Titans, stepping in with Rohit Sharma still not fully fit. The 22-year-old from Nagpur comes in at a time when Mumbai are looking for stability at the top. Gujarat won the toss and chose to bowl, putting immediate pressure on a new batter walking into a high-stakes game.
The 22-year-old youngster has a great opportunity to open with de Kock. This is what the IPL is about — giving opportunities to young talent to share the experience with international players, which helps them gain exposure.
Malewar was signed for ₹30 lakh after a strong domestic run with Vidarbha. He is a right-handed top-order batter who can also bowl leg-spin, but his role here is clear. Mumbai need runs at the top, and they need someone to hold the innings together. For a debutant, the setting does not get much tougher than this.
Domestic form earns opportunity
Malewar’s numbers in domestic cricket made him hard to ignore. He scored a double hundred on debut in the Duleep Trophy, the first from a Vidarbha player, and followed it with a key role in their Ranji Trophy-winning season. He made 783 runs that campaign, including 153 and 73 in the final.
He has also shown range in the shorter format, with a century in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League. That ability to switch gears will matter here. Mumbai’s batting has lacked consistency, and the absence of Rohit adds to that.
This is a chance to see how Malewar handles pace, pressure and expectation. Recent seasons have shown that new players can make an impact quickly. Mumbai will hope he can settle early and give them a base, while Gujarat will look to test him straight away.
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
Gujarat Titans Playing XI: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna
Impact Substitutes:
Gujarat Titans: Anuj Rawat, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Manav Suthar, Kulwant Khejroliya
Mumbai Indians: Corbin Bosch, Raj Angad Bawa, Raghu Sharma, Ashwani Kumar, Mayank Rawat