May 13 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Gujarat Titans take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their upcoming IPL 2024 fixture, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday. Both sides have two matches remaining in their league phase, with KKR having already confirmed playoffs qualification. GT are eighth in the points table, and although they aren’t knocked out yet, but their playoff chances look very vague.
Meanwhile, KKR will be without Phil Salt for the playoffs, so we could see them slot in Rahmanullah Gurbaz right away on Monday. Gurbaz will be a key weapon against Rashid Khan, and has a good record against him, slamming him for 30 off 11 balls in the IPL, without losing his wicket.
GT captain Shubman Gill roared back to form with his fourth IPL hundred to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a comfortable win against Chennai Super Kings at home in their last outing. Gill and Sai Sudharsan’s twin centuries were the cornerstone of the hosts’ huge total and their role will be crucial once again as they face KKR, which has become the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
As many as seven teams are still in the race for the playoffs. While Rajasthan Royals (16) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (14) are well-placed at second and third position, three teams — CSK, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants — are at 12 points each. GT and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are at 10 points and can reach a maximum of 14 points.
GT likely XI (if batting first)
Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Matthew Wade (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Kartik Tyagi
GT likely XI (if bowling first)
Shubman Gill (c), Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Matthew Wade (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Kartik Tyagi, Sai Kishore
KKR likely XI (if batting first)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunl Narine, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana
KKR likely XI (if bowling first)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunl Narine, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora
Head-to-head
Both sides have faced each other thrice in IPL, with GT leading 2-1 against KKR.
Pitch report
In this venue, the team batting second has come out on top four out of six matches this season. Dew has been a factor frequently and has contributed to captains opting to chase.
Fantasy team
Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Sai Sudharsan, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Matthew Wade (wk), Rashid Khan, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora