IPL 2022: Match 4 – Strongest Gujarat Titans (GT) playing XI against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

One of the new entrants to the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gujarat Titans (GT), will be taking on the other new franchise, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in their opening encounter, which is to be played at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 28 (Monday). The Ahmedabad-based franchise has acquired the services of Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra in the coaching set-up. The Titans will be led by Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and are expected to put up a strong fight against the other teams in the upcoming season.

The franchise drafted Shubman Gill (INR 8 crores), Hardik Pandya (INR 15 crores), and Rashid Khan (INR 15 crores) before the mega auction. GT bagged some of the prominent pacers – Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson. The new franchise has also included some good domestic talent as well and it will be interesting to see how Pandya leads the side.

Meanwhile, let’s look at the predicted playing XI of the Gujarat Titans side for the match against LSG:

Openers: Shubman Gill and Gurkeerat Singh

Talented batter, Shubhman Gill, was signed by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction and the batter will definitely be the first-choice opener for the side. The 22-year-old is a dynamic player and has all the shots in the book. The right-handed batter will be a key performer, especially during the field restrictions. Talking about his IPL numbers, Gill has scored 1417 runs in 58 matches at a decent average of 31.49.

Gurkeerat Singh is a solid batter and was purchased for INR 50 lakh. The 31-year-old has represented several franchises in the tournament and holds a good amount of experience. In the IPL, the-31-year-old has played a total of 41 matches in which he has scored 511 runs. Gurkeerat plays at an average of 21.29 and has a strike rate of 121.09.

Middle Order: Matthew Wade, Vijay Shankar, David Miller

Australian wicketkeeper-batter, Matthew Wade, was purchased in the dying moments of the mega auction for a cost of INR 2.4 crore. The left-handed batter last played in the biggest cricketing league way back in 2011, representing Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). After playing a vital role for his national team in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Wade managed to get a call-up in the tournament. It would be interesting to see how the senior batter plays for the new franchise.

Vijay Shankar was bagged up by GT for INR 1.4 crore.  The 31-year-old has featured in 47 IPL games for several franchises since IPL 2014. The Indian all-rounder has scored 712 runs in the IPL at an average of 26.37 and a strike rate of 126.24. He has nine wickets to his name as well.

South African batter, David Miller, is one of the hardest of hitters in the game. The 32-year-old has played 89 IPL matches so far in which he has amassed 1974 runs at a decent average of 32.9. The left-handed batter has a strike rate of 136.51 and he has also scored a hundred in the tournament against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan

Indian all-rounder and skipper of the Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya, has a lot of responsibility to ensure his side has a good campaign in the upcoming season. Notably, this will be his first stint in the leadership role. Hardik was at his best during IPL 2019. The right-handed batter amassed 402 runs in 15 innings at an average of 44.66 and a staggering strike rate of 191.42.

All-rounder Rahul Tewatia was bagged up for a whopping INR 9 crore by GT in the mega auction. The franchise had a tough fight with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to avail his services. The 28-year-old has played 48 IPL matches in which he has scored 521 runs. The leg-spinner has also scalped 32 wickets at an economy of 7.71.

Afghanistan player, Rashid Khan, was signed by the Gujarat Titans for INR 15 crore ahead of the mega auction. The 23-year-old is a world-class player and will play a key role for his franchise this season. In 76 IPL games, he has picked up 93 wickets and has scored 222 runs at a great strike rate of 137.04.

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, and R Sai Kishore

Indian pacer, Mohammed Shami, was purchased by Gujarat Titans for INR 6.25 crore from the marquee set. The senior pacer can bowl yorkers consistently in the death overs and seams the ball both ways with the new cherry. Shami has played 77 IPL games in which he has scalped a total of 79 wickets at an economy of 8.63.

New Zealand express pacer, Lockie Ferguson, was bought by the Gujarat Titans for a staggering INR 10 crore in the mega auction. The right-arm pacer is one of the fastest bowlers going around in the cricketing world at the moment. He can clock 150 km/h consistently. The right-arm pacer has played 22 IPL games so far since making his IPL debut in 2017.

Tamil Nadu spinner, R Sai Kishore, was purchased by the franchise for INR 3 crore. The left-arm-spinner has the ability to bowl with the new cherry as well. Kishore has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit for a long time now. The bowler has an economy rate of 5.46 in 38 T20s so far, and he is a wicket-taking option as well.