Kamal Ghorui
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 does not fully hide the imbalance in their campaign. Their top three — Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler — remain their main source of runs. Sai’s century in Bengaluru and the stand with Gill gave GT 205/3, but even that was not enough as RCB won by five wickets with seven balls to spare.That result underlined the pressure on GT’s middle order. Washington Sundar has offered some stability, while Jason Holder has been used to add depth, but the finishing roles have not yet settled. Against an RCB attack led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, GT can ill afford another innings built almost entirely around the top order.RCB arrive in stronger shape, with six wins from eight matches and momentum from a nine-wicket win over Delhi Capitals. In that game, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar shared seven wickets as Delhi were bowled out for 75. If the pair remove Gill, Sudharsan or Buttler early, GT’s middle order will face its toughest test yet.The other concern for the Titans is their bowling after the Powerplay. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have often given them strong starts but GT have struggled to control the middle and death overs.RCB’s batting has been more flexible. Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell and Devdutt Padikkal 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 won: 3RCB won: 4No result: 0Royal Challengers Bengaluru lead head-to-head vs Gujarat Titans: 4–3. RCB have won their only match in Ahmedabad against GT. All 7 previous encounters between RCB and GT have been won by the team batting second
GT vs RCB: Weather conditions
The weather in Ahmedabad is expected to remain clear, with no chances of rain interrupting 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 match time. Mild wind gusts of 10 to 15 km/h are predicted. With no threat of rain, a full, uninterrupted contest is on the cards.
GT vs RCB: Pitch report
The pitch in Ahmedabad is expected to favour the batters in the clash between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The surface should be good for stroke play, allowing batters to score freely. However, spinners could also find some assistance 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, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav SutharRCB: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
GT vs RCB: Live Streaming details
The GT vs RCB clash will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad with the match set to begin at 7:30 PM IST. The game will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
GT vs RCB, Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Swapnil Singh, Philip Salt, Nuwan Thushara, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik DeswalGujarat Titans Squad: Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar, Rahul Tewatia, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Kulwant Khejroliya, Nishant Sindhu, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Luke Wood, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma, Connor Esterhuizen
