IPL 2022: Match 16 – Predicted Gujarat Titans Playing XI vs Punjab Kings

Gujarat Titans have been the surprise package this season as they have started well despite not having the best of auctions. The franchise is yet to be beaten in the tournament, with two wins in two games, and Hardik Pandya has been quite impressive with his captaincy, which was a big question mark coming into this edition.

The new franchise chased down 159 in their first game with the middle-order stepping up and in the next game, it was the top-order that stood up. They managed to defend 171 in their previous game with a solid bowling effort and a lot of credit must be given to the new skipper for his bowling changes as well.

However, they still have areas of concern and are likely to be tested more once they reach towards the business end of the tournament. The upcoming fixture against Punjab Kings is an important game for Gujarat Titans to keep their winning momentum going as Punjab have some powerful hitters in their line-up, making it a mouth-watering contest.

Gujarat Titans’ predicted XI against Punjab Kings: 

Openers – Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade

Shubman Gill had a fantastic outing in the previous game against Delhi Capitals and looked in sublime touch. His strike rate kept improving as he progressed through different phases and finished with a match-winning innings of 84 off 46 deliveries that included six fours and four sixes. The right-hander managed to provide the right platform for his team to flourish towards the back end of the innings.

Matthew Wade missed out in the previous game and was dismissed for 1 in the first over of the innings. The wicketkeeper-batter can provide some outstanding starts once he gets going. However, with Wriddhiman Saha and Rahmanullah Gurbaz waiting in the wings, Wade will feel the pressure to perform.

Middle-order: David Miller, Abhinav Sadarangani

David Miller has had a decent start to the tournament, scoring an unbeaten 20 off 15 balls in the previous game against the Delhi Capitals. The left-hander can be lethal at the back end of the innings once he gets his eyes in and it is tough to stop him when he is in the zone. It will be interesting to see if Killer Miller, who used to be brutal in the past, could come to the fore again.

Abhinav Sadarangani came up with a reputation in the IPL this season after scoring big in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Karnataka. He showed glimpses in the first game of why he is rated so highly, as he helped Gujarat chase down the score with a calm head on his shoulders. He was dismissed for just 1 in the previous game but will get an extended run in the Gujarat colours.

All Rounders: Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia

Vijay Shankar has had a tough time so far in the two innings. The positive news for him will be that his franchise has been winning games and he will be lucky to get more opportunities. Shankar certainly has the potential of clearing the ropes at ease and he is a useful all-rounder as well.

There were a lot of doubts over Hardik Pandya‘s fitness, but he has been quite phenomenal with both bat and ball so far and the extra responsibility of captaincy has worked in his favour. He has got two scores in the thirties now, but hasn’t managed to capitalise on it and get to the big scores. His bowling has been good, which will be a huge boost to the side’s balance.

Rahul Tewatia played a gem of an innings in the first game against the Lucknow Super Giants and got his side home in a tricky run chase. He continued his good run with an 8-ball 14 that included a six and a four in the previous game and took his side to a score of 170 which proved to be match-winning in the end.

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Aaron

Mohammed Shami has been outstanding with the new ball so far and he has bowled some unplayable deliveries already. The speedster bowls with a very good seam position, which has tended to leave the batters in disarray at times. He in the race of Purple Cap as well with five wickets already. He can hit the yorkers at the death overs and is leading the bowling department at the moment.

Rashid Khan, as usual, has been on the money in the two games and has bowled economically although he hasn’t taken as many wickets as he would have liked to. Nevertheless, Rashid is always a match-winner with the ball and can be very handy with the bat down the order. The leg-spinner will come into play more once the wickets slow up towards the second half of the tournament.

Lockie Ferguson was one of the star performers in the previous game against Delhi Capitals as he picked up four wickets for just 28 runs and won the Player of the Match award as well. The New Zealand quick has been generating good speeds so far in the tournament and he can be very lethal in the death overs with his variations.

Over the years, Varun Aaron has been expensive more often than not but has always had the extra pace which is a great weapon to have. Hardik has used him wisely so far by not giving the new ball, and instead, has used him as a fifth bowling option alongside Tewatia and Shankar. Aaron bowled just one over in the previous game and is likely to hold on to his place in the side.

Gujarat Titans Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Aaron, Mohammed Shami