Rajasthan Royals (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) lock horns on Friday in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
The hosts will be looking to get their sixth victory of this campaign in their own backyard. However, they lost their previous match against Mumbai Indians (MI) by six wickets and will be eager to rectify their mistakes from their last outing.
Meanwhile, GT succumbed to a five-run defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC) even though they were chasing just 130. Barring Hardik Pandya no other top-order or middle-order batter made a substantial contribution to the score.
However, table toppers GT are looking to regain their mojo and upset the hosts in Jaipur.
Here is a comprehensive guide on the key batsmen, key bowlers, predicted lineups and key battles ahead of RR versus GT:
Predicted lineups for RR vs GT
RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma, Adam Zampa
GT: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Abhinav Manohar, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma.
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Best Batsmen from RR vs GT
Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): Yashasvi Jaiswal is finally living up to expectations and has been absolutely phenomenal in this edition of IPL! He is RR’s top scorer this season with 428 runs in nine innings, including three half-centuries and has been striking the ball at 159.70. RR will once again hope that the southpaw will put his best foot forward and provide a solid start to the RR innings.
Shimron Hetmyer (RR): The pinch-hitter will be key for RR if they have to chase a big total. His power-hitting ability is among the best in the world and is an asset to any team in the T20 format. Although he failed to score big against MI, he averages 41.00 in this IPL and has a strike rate of 155.30.
Hardik Pandya (GT): In the last match, the right-handed batter scored a steady 59 off 53 balls, which further highlighted his maturity. As wickets tumbled at the other end, it was Pandya who anchored the GT innings. It was far from his comfort zone but he played according to the demands of the situation and did an incredible job.
Best Bowlers from RR vs GT
Mohammed Shami (GT): The India international is the pace-spearhead of the GT attack and bagged the man of the match for his thunderous opening spell against DC that saw him pick up four crucial wickets. He is the current purple cap holder with 17 wickets and will be gunning for more on Friday.
Rashid Khan (GT): The spin wizard has picked up 15 wickets in nine matches and is one of the most effective bowlers of this season. His variations and ability to break partnerships will be crucial when the team takes on Rajasthan.
Yuzvendra Chahal (RR): Chahal will have to play a key role for RR in checking the run flow in the middle overs. David Miller and Pandya are a nightmare for any bowling unit and Chahal's experience will come in handy against these two destructive batsmen.
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Key Battles from RR vs GT
Jos Buttler vs Mohammed Shami: The England international scored 204 runs in his first four matches at a strike rate of 170. But lately, there has been a dip in his form as he's managed only 85 runs at less than run-a-ball. On the other hand, Shami has been destructive with the new ball and it remains to be seen how Buttler deals with the Indian pacer.
Hardik Pandya vs Yuzvendra Chahal: Pandya loves to play spinners but his record against his international teammate is a dismal one. He has scored just 48 runs in 55 balls off the wrist spinner and has been dismissed thrice.
