By Subhayan Chakraborty
Overview
The Gujarat Titans are aiming for a third consecutive victory in the early stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when they face the Kolkata Knight Riders at home in Ahmedabad. Although they have only played each other once, the Titans came out on top in a close match, winning by just eight runs. The Knight Riders have had a mixed start to the season, with one win and a loss so far.
The Titans have had two comfortable wins, winning their first match by five wickets and their second by six wickets against the Delhi Capitals with almost two overs to spare. Rashid Khan, the Afghan allrounder and overseas star, has been vital to their success, taking 3-31 and 2-26, which earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award. Mohammed Shami, their veteran fast bowler, also played a crucial role in their victory against the Capitals, taking 3-41.
Sai Sudharsan has demonstrated the value of the ‘Impact Player’ rule with his performances. He made a cameo of 22 runs from 17 balls in the opening game of the season, and followed it up with an unbeaten 62 from 48 balls in the next match, helping Gujarat to victory.
In contrast to Gujarat’s continued success, Kolkata finished in seventh place in the 2022 season and failed to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. However, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, their Afghan acquisition, has been impressive so far, scoring 22 runs from 16 balls in their first game and 57 from 44 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In the current season, Kolkata have once again relied heavily on Andre Russell, their overseas allrounder. In their first game, his rapid 35 from 19 balls helped them to a more respectable loss after they collapsed to 75 for 4. In their second match, he was dismissed for a golden duck, and it was left to Shardul Thakur to lead the charge with an unbeaten 68 runs from 29 balls, which was the highest IPL score by any Indian player batting at No.7. However, Thakur will be keen to impress with the ball as well.
Venue and Time
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. 3:30 PM IST.
Toss and Pitch Conditions
Typically, the pitch at the venue is known to be advantageous for batting. In the past, the average first-inning score has been around 170, and in most cases, the team chasing the target has emerged victorious. This was the scenario in the previous match, where the Gujarat Titans triumphantly chased down a total. However, with the match being an afternoon affair, it won’t be surprising if the team that wins the toss opts to bat first to make use of the freshness of the pitch.
Head-to-Head
Gujarat won their only previous meeting.
Possible XIs and Impact Player Watch
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya (C), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Joshua Little, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Narayan Jagadeesan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(C), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Suyash Sharma, KKR’s latest mystery spinner, is likely to come out as an impact player following his heroic debut against RCB in the previous encounter. If Gujarat Titans defend a total, then expect either Shivam Mavi or R Sai Kishore to be used as the impact player.