Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrating his century (AP Photo)
This Friday, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur will bear witness to an epic clash between the top two teams of IPL 2023, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Gujarat Titans (GT). While the Titans have come out victorious in three of their four encounters so far, the Royals were able to secure a win in the latest fixture between the two.
Presently, the Royals are placed fourth on the table with ten points from nine games, while the Titans lead the table with 12 points from their nine fixtures.
As excitement builds for this highly anticipated match, OneCricket predicts the strongest starting XIs for both teams, as well as their five impact players.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Openers
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler
In the previous match against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Jaiswal scored his first-ever century in the IPL. He has been in excellent form and has become the highest run-scorer for his team. Meanwhile, his opening partner Jos Buttler has struggled in his last five innings, scoring two ducks and failing to surpass 40 runs. Despite this, Buttler's talent and skill suggest that he is likely to find his form once again in the upcoming game.
Middle Order
Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer
Over the past few matches, the middle-order batters of RR - Padikkal, skipper Samson, Hetmyer, Jurel - have had difficulty making significant contributions. In the previous game, Jaiswal was responsible for the majority of the runs scored on a batting-friendly wicket. Facing a formidable Gujarat bowling attack, these middle-order batters will need to adjust their playing tempo slightly and take a few deliveries before launching into their attacking shots.
Bowlers
Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Adam Zampa and Yuzvendra Chahal
The pace attack of the team is set to be led by the fit again Trent Boult and the experienced Sandeep Sharma, while the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will look to put a lid on the run flow during the middle overs. Given the sluggish surfaces at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, the management may be tempted to bring back Adam Zampa instead of Jason Holder, particularly after his impressive 3-22 haul in the last match he played.
Predicted Playing XI of Rajasthan Royals:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Adam Zampa, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Impact Players
Riyan Parag
Jason Holder
Abdul Basith
KM Asif
Kuldeep Sen
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Openers
Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha
Spearheading the Titans' batting lineup, Shubman Gill has amassed 339 runs this season, boasting an impressive average of 37.66 and a strike rate of 140.66. He has been particularly formidable during the powerplay, striking at an impressive rate of 149.54. On the other hand, Gill's opening partner Wriddhiman Saha has struggled to make an impact with the bat, averaging only 16.78 at a strike rate of 123.77 in nine matches. However, his wicket-keeping skills are a valuable asset, which is why he is likely to retain his place despite his lackluster performance with the bat.
Middle Order
Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar and Rahul Tewatia
In their pursuit of a modest target of 131 runs against a struggling DC bowling unit, the middle-order of GT failed to deliver. Although skipper Pandya scored a half-century, his strike-rate left something to be desired. Only Tewatia managed to put in a noteworthy performance, while the remaining middle-order batsmen were guilty of poor shot selection and lost their wickets.
Bowlers
Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad and Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami and Josh Little are set to open with the new ball, with Little being the impact player for the match. Mohit Sharma will showcase his mastery of variations during the middle-overs and death. Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will lead the specialist spin department, with Pandya potentially also taking on new ball duties.
Predicted Playing XI of Gujarat Titans:
Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Hardik Pandya (C), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami
Impact Players
Josh Little
Yash Dayal
Sai Sudharsan
Alzarri Joseph
Srikar Bharat
.jpg?type=tq "RR vs GT: Head-to-Head")
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
