Gujarat Titans’ lethal pace attack is all set to ask some probing questions to the dynamic Punjab Kings top-order when the two teams lock horns in an IPL 2022 match on Friday (April 8). In terms of composition and balance, both Gujarat and Punjab are very different and that makes for an enticing contest on a Brabourne Stadium track where runs are always on offer.
Punjab in their three games have shown that the approach this year would be to go hammer and tongs during the Powerplay overs and set the tempo for the rest of the innings. In IPL however, there are some intriguing sub-plots that make it an engaging Friday. It will be a battle between Punjab’s costliest buy (apart from skipper Mayank Agarwal’s retention) Liam Livingstone and New Zealand’s speed merchant Lockie Ferguson.
Having literally terrorised Delhi Capitals’ Mandeep Singh with his pace and steep bounce in the earlier game, expect Ferguson to unleash his thunderbolts on Livingstone, who had taken the CSK attack to cleaners in the previous game with his 32-ball-60. Ferguson and Mohammed Shami make for the most potent new ball pair after the first two weeks. With head coach Anil Kumble they would like to devise a strategy to keep Punjab Kings under check during the Powerplay overs.
Hardik Pandya again bowling full tilt and touching 140 clicks also adds to the potency of the Gujarat attack but their batting still looks a bit questionable save Shubman Gill and skipper Pandya. While senior openers Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Agarwal are yet to make significant contributions, it would be an onerous job against the Titans attack.
It is the middle-order of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Livingstone and newcomer Jitesh Sharma, that is expected to provide fireworks with M Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith at the rear.
Match Details
Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, Match No. 16
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Date & Time: April 8th at 7:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network, Star Gold and Disney+Hotstar
PBKS vs GT Dream 11 Prediction
Wicketkeeper: Jonny Bairstow, Jitesh Sharma
Batters: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Abhinav Manohar
All-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Hardik Pandya
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Lockie Ferguson
Captain: Shubman Gill
Vice-Captain: Lockie Ferguson
PBKS vs GT Probable Playing XI
Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Mayank Agarwal (c), Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Kagiso Rabada, Odean Smith, Vaibhav Arora, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
Gujarat Titans: Matthew Wade (wk), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (c), Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Abhinav Manohar, Varun Aaron, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami
