Overview
Gujarat Titans won’t just look to get back to winning ways when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium. They would also have an eye on progressing to Qualifier 1 of the playoffs. Gujarat’s smooth journey suffered a bit of blip when Suryakumar Yadav’s heroics at the Wankhede resulted in a heavy defeat. However, they would believe that they have the required artillery to put that setback behind them.
The Gujarat camp do have a few worries to think of. One of them is Wriddhiman Saha’s up-and-down season. It is true that he made a significant contribution in the game against Lucknow Super Giants. But 275 runs in 12 matches doesn’t make for great reading, especially in the backdrop of him opening the innings. Among the bowlers, Rashid Khan put on yet another masterclass, in good conditions for batting at the Wankhede, and finished with a four-for. However, Mohammed Shami, the pace spearhead, came in for some punishment and went for 53 runs. It has to be said, however, that bowling to Suryakumar at his absolute best in T20 cricket is one herculean task.
If Gujarat look all set to progress to the playoffs for the second time in a row, then Sunrisers are in danger of missing out on a spot in the last four for the third time in succession. Even if they win Monday’s game, they need other results to go in their favour in order to stay alive in the tournament. On paper, Hyderabad have the firepower in both batting and bowling departments, but they haven’t been able to string together a few wins on the trot to gain momentum.
One of the few bright spots for Sunrisers this season has been Heinrich Klaasen’s power-hitting, with the wicketkeeper-batter having scored 262 runs at a strike rate of just over 180. The highlight of his game has been his striking ability against spin bowling. Hyderabad would hope for the foursome of Aiden Markram, Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi to make their presence felt in the crucial game. Glenn Phillips’ hitting prowess lower down the order also could make a difference to the side.
Venue details and time
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. 7.30 PM.
Expected conditions
With a variety of pitches on offer – black and red-soil decks – conditions would depend on the track that would be used for tomorrow’s game. Certain pitches at the ground have offered seam movement upfront, with moisture coming into play.
Head-to-head
Both Hyderabad and Gujarat have won one game each.
Possible XIs and Impact Player
Gujarat might bring in Mohit Sharma as the impact sub, while Hyderabad could look at Vivrant Sharma, the all-rounder, or T Natarajan, their left-arm pace bowler, as the impact player.
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (C), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Anmolpreet Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (C), Glenn Phillips, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Abdul Samad, Vivrant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marco Jansen, Mayank Markande.