Resurgent Titans brace for PBKS test

Resurgent Titans brace for PBKS test

Gujarat Titans have won two in a row, including a statement victory over RCB. Their next test is against table-toppers Punjab Kings, who are looking to bounce back after their first defeat.

GT's recent form is built on balance. Jason Holder's inclusion has plugged gaps with bat and ball. Their batting remains top-heavy, with the top three driving output. The middle order has been underwhelming, but Holder, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan provide a safety net.

PBKS arrive with their first wobble. Their defeat exposed execution issues with the ball in high-scoring conditions. Lockie Ferguson had an expensive outing in his first game, while Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen also went for runs.

Match Details:

• When: GT vs PBKS, Match 46, Sunday, May 3 at 7:30 PM IST
• Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• What to expect: Black soil wicket. Previous game on this pitch saw MI score 199 and bowl GT out for 100. A total of 180-190 could be challenging.
• Head to head: PBKS lead 4-3. In Ahmedabad, PBKS have a 2-0 record.

Injuries/unavailability:

• GT: Prasidh Krishna out. GT likely unchanged.
• PBKS: Shashank Singh out (hamstring), likely back for SRH match on May 6. PBKS likely unchanged.

Tactics & Matchups:

• Kagiso Rabada has dismissed Prabhsimran Singh twice in 12 balls.
• Shreyas Iyer has been dismissed twice each by Siraj, Rashid, Holder, and Sundar.
• Marcus Stoinis has been dismissed five times by Rashid Khan.

Probable XII:

• GT: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj
• PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar

Key Stats:

• PBKS have the best Powerplay run-rate (12.40). GT are sixth (9.75).
• GT are the best chasing team since 2022 (26 wins in 39). PBKS have 20 wins from 32 chases.
• GT's middle order (Nos. 4-8) have the least runs (425), second lowest average (22.36), and second lowest strike rate (135.78).
• PBKS have the second lowest catching efficiency (65.2%), dropping 12 of 32 chances.

Quotes:

• Aashish Kapoor (GT assistant coach): "Our batting approach is proper cricket up front. Gill, Sudharsan, and Buttler will play normal cricket. We want to get to 60-80 runs and build from there."
• Trevor Gonsalves (PBKS assistant bowling coach): "We have plans. This looks like a better track. We expect a bit of bounce on the black soil."