Gujarat Titans are currently sitting at the helm of IPL 2023 points table | Source: Twitter
The 62th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will be played between Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Monday, May 15.
Team Previews
Gujarat Titans
It has been a successful campaign for the Gujarat so far, with eight wins and four losses in their 12 matches. Although they stumbled in their last match against Mumbai Indians, they are still perched at the top of the points table.
The Titans have little to worry about when it comes to their composition as almost all of their players are performing at their best. In the batting department, the likes of Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, and David Miller, are all contributing, while in the bowling department, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, and Mohit Sharma are leading the charge.
In fact, Rashid Khan's recent exploits with the bat against Mumbai Indians have even earned him the reputation of a proper ‘batting all-rounder’, adding more depth to the team's lineup. All in all, a win in this game would see the Titans become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Hyderabad, on the other hand, has had a forgettable season this year. They have had little going their way as their management has failed to settle on a consistent playing XI, opting instead for constant chopping and changing. Adding to their woes, Aiden Markram’s captaincy has left a lot to be desired this season.
It looks highly unlikely that they will make it to the play-offs this season, given their current position in the points table. With only eight points and sitting at the second last spot, they would have to win all their remaining games and hope for other results to go their way, which seems like a uphill task considering the fierce competition between among teams.
Match Details
Date and Time: 15 May, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Live Streaming and Broadcast: Jio Cinema & Star Sports Network
Pitch Report
The pitch at Ahmedabad has proven to be a paradise for batter, with the last match played at this venue seeing Gujarat Titans amass a massive total of 227 runs for the loss of only two wickets against Lucknow Super Giants.
With both teams boasting of big hitters, Monday's match is expected to be a run-fest. The average first innings total at this venue is 167, and teams batting first have won most of the matches. Therefore, the captain winning the toss might prefer to bat first and set a daunting target.
Predicted Playing XIs
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, and Mohammed Shami.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Anmolpreet Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Glenn Phillips, Abdul Samad, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicket-Keeper: Wriddhiman Saha, Heinrich Klaasen
Batters: David Miller, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill
All-Rounders: Aiden Markram, Hardik Pandya
Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan
Captain: Shubman Gill
Vice-Captain: Abhishek Sharma
Prediction
The scales are tipped in favour of Gujarat Titans as they head into this game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They have a well-rounded team and are riding high on confidence, unlike Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have failed to make any significant impact as a unit throughout the tournament despite having a star-studded lineup.
 "Shivani Shukla")
