IPL 2023 PREVIEW: GT v PBKS

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) will lock horns in the 18th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, with both teams aiming to get back to their winning ways. The match will take place at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, April 13.

Punjab Kings have had a decent run in the tournament so far, with their only defeat coming in the most recent fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where their batting performance was abysmal, except for captain Shikhar Dhawan, who remained unbeaten on 99 runs and helped his team to a respectable total at the end of the innings.

In the second half of the game, Punjab Kings' bowlers failed to make an impact, with only Arshdeep Singh and Rahul Chahar taking a wicket each. This allowed Sunrisers Hyderabad to cruise to an easy victory in just 17.1 overs. In better news for Punjab Kings fans, the explosive English all-rounder Liam Livingstone has joined the team and will be available for selection in the upcoming match.

Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, had a terrific start to their tournament campaign, winning their first two matches. However, they failed to continue their winning streak in their most recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders, losing by three wickets. It was a nail-biting contest courtesy Rinku Singh's sensational display with the bat, where he hit five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal, changing the course of the game.

Hardik Pandya, the regular captain of Gujarat Titans, missed the previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders. In his absence, Rashid Khan took over the captaincy and led the team. However, Pandya is expected to return at the helm for the upcoming match as the Titans will look to turn around their fortunes in this match.

It will be interesting to see if Gujarat persists with Yash Dayal after a horrendous outing in the last match against KKR, especially when a pacer like Shivam Mavi is warming the bench. This selection dilemma facing Gujarat Titans for this match adds an extra layer of intrigue to what promises to be a exhilarating encounter at Mohali on Thursday.

Probable Playing XIs

Punjab Kings:

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sikandar Raza/Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar

Gujarat Titans:

Shubman Gill, Widdhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal/Shivam Mavi

Pitch Report

The surface at Mohali is renowned for producing high-scoring matches, and we could see another run-fest when Punjab Kings take on Gujarat Titans on Thursday. Both sides have a strong pace attack, and this could make for an intriguing contest. Given the likelihood of dew, the team winning the toss will likely look to chase under the lights.

Pitch Stats

Total matches: 9
Matches won batting first: 5
Matches won bowling first: 4
Average 1st Inns scores: 168
Average 2nd Inns scores: 152
Highest total recorded: 211/4 (19.1 Ov) by IND vs SL
Highest score chased: 211/4 (19.1 Ov) by IND vs SL
Lowest score defended: 114/8 (20 Ov) by WIW vs INDW

Head-to-Head

Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings have faced each other twice in the last season of the Indian Premier League, with both teams winning one each.

Match Ups

Shikhar Dhawan vs Rashid Khan:

Runs: 53
Balls: 56
Outs: 4

Liam Livingstone vs Rashid Khan:

Balls: 65 balls
Runs: 115 runs
Outs: 4

Shubman Gill vs Rahul Chahar:

Balls: 32
Runs: 58
Outs: 2

Shubman Gill vs Kagiso Rabada:

Balls: 37
Runs: 29
Outs: 2

David Miller vs Arshdeep Singh:

Balls: 14
Runs: 35
Outs: 1

Top Fantasy Picks

Prabhsimran Singh:

Amidst the chaos surrounding Punjab Kings' opening line-up, the emergence of Prabhsimran Singh as a star performer at the top has been a silver lining. Having already scored 83 runs in just three matches at a strike rate of around 175, he is a versatile player with a strong grasp on pace, making him a must pick player in your fantasy team in the upcoming game.

Shubman Gill:

He has been a consistent performer across formats in recent times, and although he has looked good in the tournament so far, he is yet to display the kind of batting that he is capable of. With the added advantage of playing at his home ground, he will be eager to seize the opportunity and deliver a match-winning performance.

Shikhar Dhawan:

He is the leading run-scorer of the tournament, having amassed 225 runs in just three matches at a strike rate of 149.01 and an average of 225. His ability to play calculative cricket has been a key in his and team’s success, as seen in the previous match where he remained unbeaten on 99 while wickets kept falling around him.

David Miller:

Gujarat Titans' success in the last season owed much to the contribution of the star South African batter, who played a huge role in their campaign by finishing plenty of matches for them. He played two matches so far for the defending champions this year and has accumulated 33 runs, and remained unbeaten on both the occasions.

Arshdeep Singh:

He has been in excellent form in the tournament, taking six wickets in just three matches at an average of 14 and an economy rate of 8.60. Again, with the upcoming match being played at his home ground, he will be looking to capitalise on the conditions and deliver another match-winning performance for his team.

Mohammed Shami:

For all batters in the tournament so far, facing Mohammed Shami with the new ball has been nothing short of a nightmare. And in this match, with the conditions at Mohali favouring the pacers, it's likely to be more of the same. As for the numbers, he has picked up six wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 8.17 and a strike rate of 16.

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