Batters could decide outcome in this battle between two champion bowling sides
While Titans pace attack proved too much for Knight Riders, Sunrisers' pace battery floored Royal Challengers in their previous outings
Deivarayan Muthu
26-Apr-2022
Big picture
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Marco Jansen and T Natarajan on one side. Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph and Rashid Khan on the other. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans.
Sunrisers (20.69) have the best bowling average this season, followed by Titans' 25.79. Sunrisers' attack also has the best economy rate of 7.99, with Titans - 8.22 - hot on their heels. Plus, there's the tasty narrative of Rashid going up against his former franchise once again.
The last time these two sides met, earlier this month, Rashid bagged a duck with the bat and his bowling was largely diffused by Sunrisers as Titans suffered their first - and only - defeat of the season. Can Sunrisers now do the double over Titans?
While Sunrisers' batting looks in healthy shape, with the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and Abhishek Sharma contributing handsomely, Titans' has largely revolved around their captain Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill. While Abhinav Manohar and Rahul Tewatia have applied finishing touches at different points, the overall balance of the line-up still appears shaky, especially when Pandya isn't fit enough to bowl and when Tewatia, Rashid and Abhinav are Nos. 5, 6 and 7. Titans have also had some luck along the way, but can they find a way once it runs out?
Considering that both the attacks drip with supreme skill and variety, it is the batting that could decide this game.
In the news
Sunrisers' premier spinner Washington Sundar has now missed three successive matches with a hand injury. Speaking to Star Sports, the host broadcaster, last week, Hemang Badani, Sunrisers' fielding coach and talent scout, hinted that Washington wouldn't be rushed back into action and that he will return only after he withstands some load during practice. Washington trained with the squad on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen whether he is fit enough to play on Wednesday.
Likely XIs
Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 David Miller, 5 Rahul Tewatia, 6 Abhinav Manohar, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Yash Dayal
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 J Suchith/Washington Sundar, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan
Strategy punt
The sample size is fairly small - 35 runs off 26 balls - but the in-form Rahul Tripathi could be Sunrisers' best bet to deal with Rashid. He has struck at nearly 135 against the wristspinner while being dismissed just once in the IPL.
Stats that matter
Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo