Facing an urgent need to rejuvenate their campaign, the Gujarat Titans will confront the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a team recently energized by a potent middle-order, in the IPL clash on Sunday afternoon. Positioned in the bottom half of the leaderboard, the Titans have accumulated eight points from nine matches. A victory in this game is crucial for Gujarat to rise above their current standings and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Titans have struggled with their pace attack this season, with Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Sandeep Warrier all conceding runs at an alarming rate. Even their additional quicks, Spencer Johnson and Azmatullah Omarzai, have failed to make a significant impact. Conversely, their spin trio, led by Rashid Khan and supported by R Sai Kishore and Noor Ahmad, has delivered steady performances without dominating the opposition regularly.
This bowling lineup now faces the daunting task of containing an RCB team buoyed by the performances of Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green, who have finally found form in the past couple of matches. Despite the absence of dew in the daytime match, the challenge to restrain these hitters, particularly Patidar, who has excelled against spin, remains formidable. Patidar's strong displays include rapid half-centuries in recent matches, showcasing his prowess against both pace and spin.
On the batting front, Gujarat would do well to take inspiration from RCB's recent successes. Sai Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill have both been consistent for Gujarat, surpassing 300 runs this season, but the team has lacked substantial support from their middle order. Players like David Miller, Shahrukh Khan, Vijay Shankar, and Rahul Tewatia have shown glimpses of potential but have not sustained their form.
Meanwhile, RCB’s bowlers showed impressive form in their last outing against the high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad, where they successfully defended a total of 207. The pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal delivered tight spells, and they were well-supported by leg-spinner Karn Sharma and part-timer Cameron Green, who collectively took crucial wickets. This performance will boost RCB’s confidence as they aim to stifle the inconsistent GT batting lineup in the upcoming match.
Team News
For Gujarat Titans, Shahrukh Khan just hasn't got going with the bat. Even Azmatullah Omarzai hasn't lived up to the expectations. Ashish Nehra's team could bring in Vijay Shankar, Abhinav Manohar as well as Spencer Johnson back into their XI.
Lockie Ferguson has been expensive for RCB and could be replaced by Reece Topley in their Playing XI.
Head-to-Head record
The two teams have locked horns 3 times in the past, with GT winning 2 of those contests.
Weather Update
A hot afternoon will greet players at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with temperatures soaring to 39°C.
Probable XIs
GT Probable XI: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), David Miller, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Sandeep Warrier (Impact sub: Mohit Sharma)
RCB Probable XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal
Full squads
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Sandeep Warrier, Mohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Sai Sudharsan, Sharath BR, Manav Suthar, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Kartik Tyagi, Spencer Johnson, Sushant Mishra, Joshua Little, Abhinav Manohar, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Matthew Wade
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj, Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Rawat, Himanshu Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Reece Topley, Tom Curran, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Mayank Dagar, Alzarri Joseph, Manoj Bhandage, Akash Deep, Saurav Chauhan, Rajan Kumar
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(With PTI inputs)