The 45th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 pits Gujarat Titans (GT) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad tomorrow, April 28, at 3:30 PM IST.
The Titans currently occupy seventh place in the points table with four wins from nine matches. Their opponent languishes at the bottom with just two wins in nine outings.
Gujarat enters this contest on the back of a narrow four-run defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC). Sai Sudharsan leads their batting charts with 334 runs, closely followed by skipper Shubman Gill‘s 304. However, their opening partnership has been a cause for concern, with Wriddhiman Saha managing only 130 runs at an average below 20 per match. The return of David Miller from injury bolsters their middle order alongside the late-inning flourish provided by Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan. The management might consider including either Kane Williamson in the middle order or Matthew Wade at the top to address their batting woes.
Mohit Sharma spearheads their bowling attack with 10 wickets, while Umesh Yadav has picked up seven wickets. Both bowlers, however, have conceded runs at an economy rate exceeding 10 per over. The spin trio of Rashid (eight wickets), Noor Ahmad (six wickets), and Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (six wickets) have taken wickets and restricted the flow of runs in the middle overs. Notably, Rashid remains the most economical bowler with an economy rate of 7.44.
RCB will enter this match on the back of a morale-boosting 35-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Virat Kohli has been the lone bright spark in their batting lineup, amassing 430 runs. Captain Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar have provided some support with 264 and 211 runs respectively. The return of Cameron Green, who played a crucial unbeaten knock of 37 runs in the previous match, might offer solutions to their middle-order woes. Dinesh Karthik has been the finisher they needed, scoring 262 runs at a strike rate of 196.
Similar to previous seasons, RCB’s bowling remains a major drawback for the team. They have struggled to find the right bowling combination and execute their plans effectively. Their bowlers have consistently leaked runs and failed to pick up wickets consistently. Yash Dayal leads their bowling attack with eight wickets, followed by Green (six wickets) and Mohammed Siraj (five wickets).
Head-to-Head:
Historically, Bengaluru and Gujarat have met in three IPL matches. RCB emerged victorious on one occasion, while GT won twice.
Where-to-Watch:
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