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ToggleThe Gujarat Titans (GT) are going into the GT vs KKR clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after their 35-run win over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Even though, KKR has been enjoying its time being the first team to be qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs.
Gujarat have struggled quite a lot in the middle overs, and their strike rate of 133.33 in this phase, which is the worst of all the teams is the prime example of it. In 12 innings, they have cracked only 28 sixes between the seventh to 15th over. Besides these going into the GT vs KKR face-off, they have also lost the second most wickets (33) in the period to create more pressure on their lower order.
The story for the Knight Riders have been quite the opposite. In 12 innings, the 2012 and 2014 champions have the best strike rate of the season-150.77, besides smashing 48 over-boundaries in the duration- which is the third best of the tournament so far. They also have lost the second lowest wickets (26) in this phase, which has helped their lower order to go berserk from the very first ball, before the GT vs KKR fixture.
IPL 2024: GT vs KKR Playing 11- Match 63
The hosts have many problems to solve. But with a 210-run opening stand in the last game against CSK, they have shown the quality of their batters in the top order.
GT Playing 11:
Shubman Gill has displayed the aggressive avatar of his game, nailing 426 runs so far in this IPL 2024, at an average of 38.72 in 12 innings and a strike rate of 147.40 with a couple of fifties and one century. He looked supreme touch in the last game along with Sai Sudharsan, who now is the fourth highest run-getter of the tournament with 527 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 141.28, before the GT vs KKR affair.
The middle order has struggled a bit for the Titans, as David Miller missed a few half-volleys in the CSK game to smash them out of the park towards the end. Mohit Sharma has again stood up in delivering on the crucial stage of the death overs, collecting 13 scalps in 11 innings but at an economy of close to 11.
The spinners need to stand up with a few good performances. Rashid Khan, even though, has an economy of only 8.40 so far in the competition, has failed to make an impact with only 10 wickets in 12 innings, which is not up to the mark of his standards.
GT’s line-up vs KKR:
Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Matthew Wade (wk.), Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Umesh Yadav, Noor Ahmed, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Warrier. (Impact Sub: Kartik Tyagi)
KKR Playing 11:
The Kolkata Knight Riders have been blessed with their players performing in most of the departments which they didn’t expect. Sunil Narine is the sixth-highest run-getter of the IPL 2024 with 461 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 182.93, with three half-centuries and one hundred, going into the GT vs KKR fixture.
Phil Salt has already smashed close to 450 runs at a strike rate of over 180. The only concern in the batting order is their captain Shreyas Iyer, who has 287 runs in this IPL 2024, but at 135.37. Two young pacers have raised their hands in crisis time, as Varun Chakaravarthy has notched up 18 scalps, along with Harshit Rana’s 16 wickets.
Magician Narine has picked up 15 wickets in 12 innings at an economy of 6.63, which has helped them to put pressure from one end and take wickets from the other.
KKR’s line-up vs GT
Phil Salt (wk.), Sunil Narine, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana. (Impact Sub: Vaibhav Arora).
The GT vs KKR encounter will occur on May 13, 2024, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.