Two teams with contrasting fortunes will clash on Saturday in the double header. Business end of the tournament has began where fans enthusiasm is at peak, thrilling games one after another and no room for complacency for the franchises.
Gujarat Titans:
Victory is cherished no matter how it comes : Gujarat Titans seem to have mastered this mantra. They have somehow managed to make inroads and are sitting at the second spot in the points table. In their previous game, the team was led by Rashid khan in the absence of regular skipper Hardik but that also couldn't stop the team from crossing the lines against CSK. The biggest strength of this team has been that different individuals have stepped up at various occasions in the tournament and have done the job. But Gujarat themselves can't deny the fact that their squad lacks consistency and big names. The team will be wary of their players like Wade,Vijay and Saha who had poor outings and would be hopeful that they step up.
What ends well is all well.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
What started well, is not progressing well. Kolkata had won three games out of four and all was going well but the team soon realised how harsh cricket and IPL is. They have looked clueless and have failed to perform as a collective unit. T-20 format is considered to be a game of individual performance but for KKR, this is a myth. Likes of Shreyas Iyer,Rana,Russell and Narine have stepped up but had got no support in their respective departments from others. Teams misery is further intensified because of poor performance of Indian stars like Varun,Sheldon and Venkatesh; Umesh has also lost his mojo.With time running out for KKR, Shreyas would want his two times champion side to make an astonishing comeback.
Special mention: In the modern era where cricket coaches do lot of data analysis, our beloved Nehra is dominating with mere pen and paper.
Interesting Fact:
Rashid is one wicket away from joining Narine in the special club of 100 wickets by overseas spinners in IPL.
Probable Playing XI:
Gujarat Titans : Hardik and Wade may make come back in place of Vijay and Saha.
Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade / Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Hardik Pandya (C), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Alzarri Joseph / Varun Aaron , Yash Dayal / Darshan Nalkande.
Kolkata Knight Riders : Billings may come in the side in place of Sheldon who had not so tellable outings till now.
Sunil Narine, Aaron Finch, Shreyas Iyer (WK), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings / Sheldon Jackson (WK), Pat Cummins, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy.
Weather and Pitch Report:
In the last match at this venue, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings produced a cracker of a game. 12 out of 14 wickets that fell in that match were taken by pacers which indicates that pacers might rejoice bowling here in this game. Batters are likely to struggle during the initital few overs. The team winning the toss is likely to bowl.
When: Saturday, April 23 at 15:30 IST
Where: Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar
Dream 11 Team:
