IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy team for GT vs MI match

The Gujarat Titans (GT) will take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 35th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) season on Tuesday, April 25. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host this contest.

Both teams will come into this match on the back of contrasting results in close games in their previous outings.

The Titans pulled off an improbable win against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) that will linger on in public memory for some time. Hardik Pandya's men defended 31 runs in the final six overs, despite the opposition having two set batters at the crease and nine wickets in hand.

KL Rahul, who said after the game that he didn't know what happened, and the rest of the LSG batters are massively responsible for the loss. However, the belief that GT showed and the execution of their plans in the closing stages of the game shows why they're favorites to defend their title.

Meanwhile, in a high-scoring tie at the Wankhede, a lackluster bowling effort in the last six overs cost MI the match against the Punjab Kings by 13 runs.

Suryakumar Yadav's incredible 26-ball 57 and Cameron Green's 67 were unable to save them on the day. Punjab, meanwhile, won largely thanks to a masterful spell of death bowling from Arshdeep Singh.

Having registered three wins on the trot before this defeat, Rohit Sharma and Co. will want to start a new run.

On that note, let's look at three differential options you can pick from for your Dream11 fantasy team for the upcoming IPL 2023 contest between GT and MI.

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#3 Jofra Archer | MI

Can Jofra Archer rattle the GT batting lineup in his second game after injury?

After an injury setback, Jofra Archer returned to MI's playing XI against the Punjab Kings. He could only pick up one wicket against PBKS while conceding 42 runs from his four overs. However, the Englishman will be expected to improve on that performance at a slightly better venue.

GT hasn't had the best of times with the bat in recent times, and Archer has had positive matchups against many of the hosts' batters. He has scalped the wickets of Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, and David Miller, especially early on in their innings, in previous matches.

His ability to generate pace and bounce from the wicket will likely cause some problems for the Titans. Archer's ownership in fantasy teams is surprisingly low for a player of his caliber, and he could be a neat Dream11 differential.

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#2 Vijay Shankar | GT

Vijay Shankar could be a solid Dream11 differential, despite failing to fire against LSG

Vijay Shankar played a blinder of a knock in his most recent match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, scoring a 24-ball 63 against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The innings was ultimately in vain courtesy of a miraculous final-over finish from Rinku Singh. However, it showed the power-hitting ability Shankar has in his locker, and he will hope to repeat that against the Mumbai Indians.

The Tamil Nadu batter has always been a powerful player, and he can clear the fence with ease, especially over the mid-wicket and long-on regions. He might be able to use that ability to his benefit in this upcoming match.

MI don't have bowlers who can consistently nail the yorkers or bowl wicket-taking fuller length balls. If they revert to back-of-the-length deliveries, Shankar will be waiting on his back foot to tonk them over the short leg-side fences.

GT is backing him to bat ahead of David Miller, and if B Sai Sudharsan isn't fit, he could well be given a chance at No. 4. This will provide Shankar with a good chance to get a big score, making him a solid Dream11 differential option for this contest.

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#1 Noor Ahmad | GT

There is a question over whether or not Noor Ahmad will retain his place in the GT lineup on a more pacer-friendly Ahmedabad surface. However, if he features in the playing XI against MI, he could be a very useful Dream11 differential pick.

The left-arm mystery spinner from Afghanistan has made a major impact for the Titans in his first two IPL appearances.

He picked up Sanju Samson's wicket against the Rajasthan Royals. Ahmad then helped get GT back into their game against LSG, setting off a procession of wickets by dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya.

His spell of 2/18 in four overs laid the platform for the Titans' incredible win. While Mohit Sharma did a terrific job of sealing the win with some outstanding death bowling, Ahmad should've received the Player of the Match award against LSG.

Despite being an impactful bowler, he has a very low ownership rate. This provides a great opportunity for Dream11 players looking for a differential pick and Ahmad could deliver big points on his day.