IPL 2023: Can Rohit Sharma negotiate the Mohammed Shami threat? 

Qualifier 2 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) sees Gujarat Titans take on Mumbai Indians at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (May 26). Notably, the winner of this high-profile contest will join Chennai Super Kings in the final. Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami are among the players to watch out for in the duel. Here we decode their rivalry.

Rohit and Shami are bound to tackle early on as they open the proceedings in their respective departments. The pacer has an edge over Rohit in terms of past battles as he has dismissed the MI skipper twice in IPL meetings. Notably, the batter's strike rate in this battle is just 118.51. Rohit has garnered eight runs off six balls against Shami this season.

Though MI have advanced to the top three, Rohit has struggled with the bat. He has garnered 324 runs so far at a strike rate of 133.33. Moreover, 10 of his 15 dismissals this season have been recorded in powerplay overs. Hence, Shami's swinging deliveries can give him a hard time. Rohit's strike rate within field restrictions read 131.39 in IPL 2023.

Shami has been nothing but a nemesis for batters with the new ball. His tally of 15 powerplay wickets this season is the most for any bowler. Moreover, the pacer also owns the third-most powerplay wickets since IPL 2019 (40). With 26 wickets in 15 games at an economy of 7.66, he is also leading the Purple Cap race this season.

Rohit recently completed 5,000 runs for MI and has overall amassed 6,203 runs in the competition at an average of 29.67 (50s: 42, 100s: 1). Against GT, he boasts 74 runs in three outings at a strike rate of 137.03. Meanwhile, Shami has raced to 125 wickets in 108 matches (ER: 8.38). He has returned with 12 wickets in 13 outings versus MI.