RHODRI EVANS: The Cricketer takes a look at the next fixture in the 2022 Indian Premier League season
Gujarat Titans take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
The match will be played on Saturday, April 30 with the first ball being bowled at 3.30pm local time (11am GMT).
The teams will face off at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
The Titans are on a four-match winning streak and have only lost one match of eight in this year’s competition. Hardik Pandya’s side have shown the form of champions in recent matches, not least their last gasp victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday, April 27.
Stunning hitting from Rahul Tewatia (40* from 21 balls) and Rashid Khan (31* from 11) saw Gujarat home with four sixes in the last over. Rashid Khan’s emergence as a truly elite death overs hitter has improved an already strong Titans team that must surely be planning for the knockout stage already.
After an uptick in form for RCB, their batting has collapsed in their last two games. First, they were demolished by SRH for 68, and then against Rajasthan Royals, they fell 29 runs short chasing only 144. That Royals game did see a strong bowling performance, particularly from their overseas bowlers, Josh Hazelwood and Wanindu Hasaranga who took two wickets each.
A win for RCB will see them leapfrog SRG and Lucknow Super Giants into the qualification places, whereas Gujarat will want to win to open a gap of six points between themselves and the chasing pack.
Rashid Khan (BCCI)
A most interesting passage of play will be RCB’s opening quicks – Hazelwood and Mohammed Siraj – up against GT’s top order of Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, and captain Pandya.
The key to the Titans’ success this season has been the platform these three have given the middle order, so much so that the likes of David Miller and Rahul Tewatia have not be tasked with anything more strenuous than some late order hitting in recent matches.
If RCB are to have any chance in this match, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell have to find some form. They are the backbone of this Bangalore team and have been anonymous in recent matches.
Matches played: 0
Gujarat Titans wins: N/A
Royal Challengers Bangalore wins: N/A
A warm day is expected in Mumbai, with highs of 34 degrees Celsius, falling to 33 degrees by first ball of the match.
Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Abhinav Sadarangani, Rahul Tewatia, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Viijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Prandeep Sangwan, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Gurkeerat Singh, Varun Aaron
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, Shahbaz Ahamad, Akash Deep, Josh Hazlewood, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudessai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Luvnith Sisodia (injury replacement: Rajat Patidar), David Willey
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Abhinav Manohar, Lockie Ferguson, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazelwood, Mohammed Siraj.
Virat Kohli (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The bookies cannot separate the two teams for tomorrow’s clash, giving Gujarat Titans and RCB odds of 10/11.
While the bookies have this game as an even one, the Titans’ will be confident after RCB’s recent batting woes.
Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, and Alzarri Joseph will be licking their lips at the prospect of Bangalore’s miserably out of form top order.
The Titans’ have that winning feeling in this year’s competition and a win will all but seal their place in the final stages of IPL 2022.
In the UK, Sky Sports have exclusive rights to this year's tournament, with matches available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket.
Fans in India can watch all of the action on Star Sports.
Elsewhere in the world, viewers in Australia can watch the IPL on Fox Sports while in New Zealand, Sky Sport will provide coverage.
Willow TV and Flow Sports will broadcast the tournament in the United States and the Caribbean, respectively.
Fans in MENA can catch the action on beIN Sports while in South Africa, SuperSport have the rights.
The IPL can also be streamed on Disney+ and Hotstar in certain areas.
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