KKR vs GT, IPL 2023: 3 Players who can win today's Player of the Match award

The 39th game of the IPL 2023 features a fiery clash between the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders and the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, April 29. Coming off wins in their previous games, both Kolkata and Gujarat will look to maintain their winning ways in the forthcoming game.

The Nitish Rana-led side won their previous game against Royal Challengers Bangalore when both sides took each other on in the 36th game of the competition on Wednesday, April 26. Through brilliant knocks by Jason Roy and Nitish Rana, the two-time champions managed to post 200 runs on the board, and through a brilliant performance with the ball, Kolkata defeated Bangalore and won the game by 21 runs

On the other hand, Gujarat Titans played their last game against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. Gujarat posted 207 runs on the board, thanks to top knocks by Shubman Gill, David Miller, and Abhinav Manohar. As Mumbai came in to chase the target, defending champions' bowling attack proved to be too much to handle for the Rohit Sharma-led side.

Gujarat won the game by 55 runs, and they will look to put in a similar performance when they take on Kolkata in the forthcoming match. With many talented players in their arsenal, many could go on to make an impact and be the deciding factor in the match.

Here are three players who can win the Player of the Match award in the KKR vs GT match:

3. Varun Chakravarthy

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy could be one of the players who will have a big impact in Kolkata’s next game against Gujarat. Having played eight games at the tournament so far, the 31-year-old has taken 13 wickets, and he could be key in taking the wickets of Gujarat’s batting order.

In his last game against Bangalore, Chakaravarthy was named the Player of the Match for his sensational performance. Taking three wickets and conceding 27 runs in the four overs he bowled, his performance was crucial for Kolkata to win a game after four consecutive losses.

He dismissed the likes of Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, and man-in-form Glenn Maxwell in the previous game. If the 31-year-old can put in a similar performance against Gujarat, he could be one of the leading contenders for the Player of the Match award.

2. Rashid Khan

Ace Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has been in good form at the IPL 2023 as well. With 14 wickets in seven games so far, Rashid Khan could be one of the most important players for Gujarat in their forthcoming game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

In Gujarat’s previous game against Mumbai, Rashid Khan took two wickets and conceded 27 runs in the four overs he bowled. Dismissing the likes of Ishan Kishan and the in-form Tilak Varma, Rashid’s performance was crucial for Gujarat in clinching a win in their previous game.

Seeing his current form, Rashid Khan’s spell with the ball could make him a big threat for Kolkata and see him win the Player of the Match award through his performance.

1. Shubman Gill

Star Indian batter Shubman Gill could be another front-runner for the Player of the Match award in Gujarat’s upcoming clash against Kolkata. Having scored 284 runs in seven games so far, Gill would be the one to lookout for against Kolkata.

In the side’s previous game against Mumbai Indians, the 23-year-old gave the defending champions just the start that they needed. He scored 56 runs in just 34 deliveries and helped Gujarat post a whopping 207 runs on the board.

Having scored three half-centuries in seven games, Gill would be eyeing yet another fabulous performance in the next game, and Kolkata would look to take his wicket early into the game as he could be one of the biggest threats.