AHMEDABAD: Six days after Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 206 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Gujarat Titans face the defending champions again, this time at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday, still looking for answers to familiar problems.GT have four wins and four losses from eight games, but their mid-table position doesn’t quite hide the imbalance in their campaign. Their top three — Shibman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler — have been the main source of their runs. Sai’s century in Bengaluru and a stand with Gayle gave GT 205/3, but even that was not enough as RCB won by five wickets with seven balls to spare.
This result highlighted the pressure on GT’s middle order. Washington Sunder has offered some stability, while Jason Holder has been used to add depth, but the final role has yet to be determined. Against an RCB attack led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar And Josh Hazlewood, GT cannot afford another innings built almost entirely around the top order.RCB came into strong form with six wins in eight matches and a nine-wicket win over Delhi Capitals. In that game, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar shared seven wickets as Delhi were bowled out for 75 runs. If the duo removes Gill, Sudharsan or Buttler early, GTK’s middle order will face its toughest test yet.Another concern for the Titans is their bowling after the power play. Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada often gave them strong starts but GT struggled to gain control in the middle and death overs.RCB’s batting has been more flexible. Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethel and Dev Dutt Padikal give them options at the top, while Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Krunal Pandya strengthen the middle order.
GT vs RCB : Head to head
Matches played: 7GT Wins: 3RCB won: 4No results: 0Royal Challengers Bengaluru lead by head vs Gujarat Titans: 4-3. RCB won their only match against GT in Ahmedabad. All the previous 7 matches between RCB and GT have been won by the second placed team.
GT vs RCB: Weather Conditions
Weather expected to remain clear in Ahmedabad, there is no chance of rain in the match between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It will be a warm evening, with temperatures hovering around 32°C at the time of the match. A light wind speed of 10 to 15 km per hour is predicted. With no threat of rain, a full, uninterrupted contest is on the cards.
GT vs RCB: Pitch Report
The Ahmedabad pitch is expected to favor the batsmen in the clash between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The surface should be good for playing strokes, allowing the batsmen to score freely. However, spinners may also get some help as the game progresses. Overall, it promises to be a balanced contest between bat and ball. Winning the toss and opting to chase is likely to be the preferred strategy.
GT vs RCB, Predicted XIs:
Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shibman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicket), Shah Rukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tiotia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammad Siraj, Manav SatharRCB: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethel, Dev Dutt Padikal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
GT vs RCB: Live Streaming Details
GT vs RCB will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad with the match scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST. The game will be telecast on Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
GT vs RCB, Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma (W), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rashekh Salam Dar, Jacob Bethel, Mangesh Oak, Jordan, Venkate, Jordan Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Swapnal Singh, Phillip Salt, Nuwan Thushara, Vihan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanshik Chauhan, Satuk DeswalGujarat Titans Squad: Roy Srinivasan Sai Kishor, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Shah Rukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammad Siraj, Manav Sothar, Rahul Tiotia, Anuj Phillip, Sindhu, Gulnath, Klein Soth, Kunjali Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Luke Wood, Parsed Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kshagra, Gurnor Brar, Ashok Sharma, Connor Esterhuizen
