Toss Update
-
Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the toss and elected to bowl first.
-
Captain Riyan Parag mentioned the pitch looks similar to the "LSG game" — a bit slow, low bounce, and with possible dew later to aid chasing.
Team News
Gujarat Titans (GT) 🔵
-
Debut Alert:
Afghanistan allrounder Karim Janat makes his IPL debut. -
Sherfane Rutherford is out — not even among the substitutes.
-
GT still have two games in hand compared to table-toppers RCB, so a win here would greatly boost their playoff push.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) 🩷
-
Maheesh Theekshana returns to exploit the expected low bounce.
-
Tushar Deshpande has been dropped for Yudhvir Singh after an expensive last outing.
-
RR are in must-win mode — they need to win all their remaining five matches to stay alive in the playoff race.
Playing XIs
Gujarat Titans (GT):
-
B Sai Sudharsan
-
Shubman Gill (capt)
-
Jos Buttler (wk)
-
Washington Sundar
-
M Shahrukh Khan
-
Rahul Tewatia
-
Karim Janat
-
Rashid Khan
-
R Sai Kishore
-
Mohammed Siraj
-
Prasidh Krishna
Possible Impact Players: Ishant Sharma, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan
Rajasthan Royals (RR):
-
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
-
Yashasvi Jaiswal
-
Nitish Rana
-
Riyan Parag (capt)
-
Dhruv Jurel
-
Shimron Hetmyer
-
Wanindu Hasaranga
-
Sandeep Sharma
-
Jofra Archer
-
Maheesh Theekshana
-
Yudhvir Singh
Possible Impact Players: Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kunal Singh Rathore
Big Picture
-
GT Form: Stable, second on the table, and have beaten RR earlier this season. They’ll want to solidify a top-two finish.
-
RR Pressure: Desperate times. A slip here could officially knock them out of playoff contention.
-
Pitch Conditions: Sluggish track; spinners and change-of-pace bowlers could dominate early, but dew may tilt things towards the chasing side later.
Players to Watch
-
Karim Janat (GT): Exciting debut — offers pace, variations, and handy middle-order batting.
-
Maheesh Theekshana (RR): Could be critical in the middle overs on a low bounce track.
-
Jos Buttler (GT): Shifted to wicketkeeping, allowing GT to balance their overseas slots.
-
Riyan Parag (RR): Captain leading from the front — must deliver with both bat and leadership.
Trivia/Interesting Stat
-
RR's struggles: RR have lost five matches on the trot — many from winning positions — highlighting their finishing issues.
-
GT's edge: GT crushed RR earlier this season, triggering RR’s ongoing crisis.
Summary:
RR must win or perish.
GT can consolidate their playoff position.
Slower pitch + dewy second innings = a game where chasing might be easier, but spinners could dictate terms early on.
0 Comments