Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
Gujarat Titans (GT) square off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 28, in match 45 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Titans have won four matches and lost five in IPL 2024 thus far. They are placed at No. 7 on the points table. Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers ended their six-match losing streak in the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad but are still languishing at the foot of the table, with just two wins and seven defeats from nine matches.
Shubman and Co. put on a spirited show in their last game as they almost chased down a mammoth 225-run target against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Despite skipper Shubman falling cheaply, half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan and David Miller kept them in the run-chase till the last ball. The 2022 champions eventually lost by four runs.
Shubman is the leading run-getter for Gujarat but the other batters have not been able to back him up. However, the performances of Miller and Sudharsan in the last game should give the GT faithful a lot of confidence going forward. The bowling department, on the other hand, has not been in great form and that has been a major concern for the Titans. Mohit Sharma, who is their leading wicket-taker this season, conceded a whopping 73 runs and wicketless in his four overs against the Capitals. The talismanic Rashid Khan has also blown hot and cold so far in the campaign.
Meanwhile, a struggling RCB side managed to pull off a huge upset against an in-form Sunrisers outfit in their last game as they successfully defended a 207-run target at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, emerging victorious by 35 runs. Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli smashed half-centuries, while Cameron Green put on an all-round show to orchestrate the much-needed win for the Faf du Plessis-led franchise.
Kohli is still leading the run-scoring charts in IPL 2024. However, fellow opener Faf has been quite inconsistent. Patidar has scored two breathtaking half-centuries in the last two matches and should be high on confidence. Meanwhile, Green’s all-round exploits in the last game would have surely boosted the morale of the RCB fans. However, the bowling department is still a worrying aspect of the popular franchise. The likes of Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson, and Yash Dayal haven’t looked threatening so far. However, all of them possess commendable skills and would be hungry to make an impact on Sunday.
Probable Playing XI:
Gujarat Titans:
Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), Kane Williamson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Sandeep Warrier, Mohit Sharma
Impact Player: Sai Sudharsan
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Karn Sharma, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player: Swapnil Singh
