Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will hope their stretched bowling units rediscover form on a batting-friendly Ahmedabad pitch in a crucial IPL 2025 clash that could shape their league campaign.
Titans, second in the table with three wins from four matches, can go top with a fourth straight victory. On the other hand RR, with two wins in four, need a result to break free from the mid-table congestion.
GT have built strong momentum with three wins on the trot, while RR have bounced back from a shaky start with back-to-back victories.
Gujarat's bowling hopes will once again rely on pacer Mohammed Siraj and spinner R Sai Kishore.
However, the form of ace spinner Rashid Khan and experienced quick Ishant Sharma remains a worry.
Rashid, one of the most accomplished spinners in T20 cricket, has taken just a wicket from four matches while giving away in excess of 10 runs an over -- for his worst ever start in the IPL.
Ishant is a co-sailor in that ship of turmoil, bagging just a solitary wicket in three matches while leaking 12 runs an over.
Unfortunately, the GT has no ready back-up available as pacers such as Arshad Khan or Fazalhaq Farooqi have not really stepped up.
They might be tested by the Rajasthan line-up boasting of some explosive batters in Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag and Nitish Rana, all with a strike-rate well over 150.
The lone missing link is Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has scored 101 runs from four matches at a strike rate of 131.16, with 67 of them coming in the previous game against Punjab Kings.
In the bowling department, RR has a deeper issue as except pacer Sandeep Sharma none of the other bowlers have been able to stem the run flow.
However, Jofra Archer's effort against Punjab Kings (4-0-25-3) will offer them a semblance of consolation going into a potentially high-scoring game.
The Ahmedabad stadium has produced scores 243, 232, 196 and 160 in the last four completed innings.
Hence, it will leave some creases on the foreheads of the RR bowlers, who will be up against a fine batting side of GT.
The home side batters such as skipper Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford and B Sai Sudharsan are in fine touch and would look to continue their good run.
The excellent effort of all-rounder Washington Sundar (49) against the Kings has added more teeth to GT's batting unit.
Teams:
Gujarat Titans: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (Captain), Jos Buttler (w/k), Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Karim Janat.
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain, w/k), Riyan Parag, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (w/k), Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.
Match starts at 7.30pm IST.
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