A battle royale is on the cards when Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans take on the Rajasthani Royals led by Sanju Samson. While both teams have won 3 and lost 1 in their respective four matches. Rajasthan Royals are currently at the top of the table and Gujarat Titans are in fourth position. The 24th match will be played at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Here is our team analysis:
Team Analysis for Gujarat Titans:
Strengths: Rashid Khan’s bowling in the middle of the overs has been GT’s greatest strength this season. His bowling can be divided into 2 phases i.e., one between 7-12 overs and the other between 12-16 overs of innings. While in the first phase he chokes the batter and confuses him with his googlies and broken legs at a save rate of 5.71 and picks a wicket every 4 balls. He cleans them up in the second phase where he picks a wicket every 6 balls as the batters look to speed up.
While everyone contributes with the bat, some have stood out with Shubman Gill and Abhinav Manohar. They both get a healthy score, which is paramount in T2Os.
Mohammad Shami with his control, seam presentation and ability to generate wickets was crucial to his side’s success.
Weaknesses: David Miller at position number 5 where you need someone who can be an enforcer and score quickly. He is someone who hits with a strike rate below 140. While GT can replace him with Dominic Drakes, an all-around bowler and hard ball hitter.
Mathew Wade’s constant struggle in the previous 4 games has been the only constant thing for GT this season. With a capable replacement already in their dugout, they should look to play Rahmanullah Gurbaz ahead of him.
Rajasthan Royals Squad Analysis:
Strengths: One of their greatest strengths this year has been the ability to pick wickets in the power play, which derails opposing teams. While Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna split the spoils between them in power plays. Another bowler, Yuzvendra Chahal with a ball point percentage of 43 and a save rate of 7 strikes during the middle overs. With the problem of a quick third bowler now solved with the addition of Kuldeep Sen., their bowling exudes confidence.
On the batting front, the team has Jos Buttler at the top and Shimron Hetmyer at the end. Both can use all ballistic cannons whenever the time is right.
Weaknesses: Devdutt Paddikal’s struggle to score after the power play has been a problem for him the past 2 seasons. With a meager 100 strike rate this season, he’s putting pressure on a new hitter to score fast.
Impact player for Gujarat Titans:
Rashid Khan: Apart from Yuzvendra Chahal, no other bowler has taken more wickets than Rashid Khan in the last 4 years. An athletic defender, shotgun thrower, and practical hitter. He has this ability to mow down hitters without breaking a sweat.
Impact player for the Rajasthan Royals:
Trent Boult: One of the reasons the Mumbai Indians enjoyed success in the previous two seasons was that Trent Boult had a habit of picking wickets in the power plays. . In the past 4 years he has racked up 30 wickets at a save rate of 7 in power plays. This season, he has been the reason behind the success of the Rajasthan Royals for the same reason.
Face-to-face: The two teams have not played each other yet.
