IPL 2022: Qualifier 1 - Predicted Gujarat Titans Playing XI vs Rajasthan Royals

The league stage of IPL 2022 is done and dusted. Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore will fight it out in the playoffs for the coveted IPL trophy. Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will get two shots at making it to the finals as they finished in the top two in the points table.

Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans will take on Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 on May 24 (Tuesday). The winner will directly head to the final, whereas the loser will get another chance in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator (LSG vs RCB). Hardik Pandya would hope that their defeat in the last game against RCB was just a minor blip, and would now wish to seal their place in the finals. Titans won’t be looking to make any changes to the XI that has performed efficiently throughout the season.

Here’s a look at the Gujarat Titans’ predicted playing XI against Rajasthan Royals for the Qualifier 1:

Openers: Wriddhiman Saha (wk) and Shubman Gill

Wriddhiman Saha re-invented himself in IPL 2022. The opener has been given the license to free his arms and he has acknowledged that as well. The wicketkeeper-batter has been quite severe on the bowlers in the powerplay as he has been fearless against pace bowling. The Bengal man has scored 312 runs in just nine innings so far and is on the course of breaking his career-best record of 362 runs in an IPL season that he achieved in IPL 2014.

The Gujarat Titans would wish that Shubman Gill could also rediscover his form that he showed earlier in the season. The elegant opener has been guilty of playing some loose shots in the last couple of games and would look to find his concentration back on the pitch. Unlike Saha, Gill has been watchful in the powerplay and has relied on his manoeuvring skills rather than power-hitting.

Middle-order: Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya (c) and David Miller

Matthew Wade has failed to leave a mark on his long-awaited second stint in the IPL. The Aussie made the headlines albeit for the wrong reasons, as he was reprimanded by the match referee for his outburst after being dismissed against RCB. The Gujarat management is well aware of the southpaw’s ability to change the match in crucial situations and will entrust upon the experienced batter to do the same.

The captain of the team leads from the front, and that’s what Hardik Pandya has done this season. Mumbai’s decision to let Pandya go bemused their fans, but Gujarat Titans took the opportunity with both hands as they splashed INR 15 crore for the all-rounder. Pandya has provided solidity to the Titans’ middle order by slotting himself up the batting order. He has scored 413 runs this season, his most fruitful output with the bat in an IPL season.

One of the bargains of the season, David Miller has looked at his best after a couple of forgettable years in the tournament. The South African has looked assured at the crease and has showcased his power-hitting abilities again this season. His 94* off 51 balls against defending champions CSK was one of the best innings of IPL 2022. The Titans would be hoping for more of the same from the 32-year-old in the upcoming crucial games.

All-rounders: Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan

It’s not over as long as Rahul Tewatia is at the crease, the man who has made it a habit of pulling off impossible heists with the bat. Although he hasn’t bowled as often this season, he has still been quite a valuable asset to the team. He has scored 217 runs this season with a strike rate of over 145.

The youngest bowler to breach the 100-wicket mark in IPL history, Rashid Khan is a phenomenon. The Afghan spinner holds the record of reaching 100 wickets in T20Is in the fewest of innings. The leggie has been a nuisance for the batters over the years and has continued in the same vein in IPL 2022. He has 18 wickets to his name in 14 games, going under seven runs per over. Khan has equally been potent with the bat as he has played some scintillating cameos to hand Titans the win in tough situations.

Bowlers: Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal and Mohammed Shami

One of the products of TNPL, Sai Kishore is a tall left-arm orthodox spinner who is handy with the bat as well. He was the leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2019-20. The tall spinner is just three games old in the IPL, but his control with the ball has been impressive. In the last encounter against RCB, he conceded just 20 runs in his four overs when everyone else was being hammered around the park.

Gujarat Titans will be hoping that Lockie Ferguson can finally come good with the ball this season. The speedster was bagged for INR 10 crore in the IPL 2022 auction but has been disappointing this season. Ferguson was impressive for Kolkata last season, especially his exploits with the ball at the death. But the Kiwi has leaked away runs at an alarming rate this season and has often been the weak link in Gujarat’s bowling unit.

IPL 2022 has seen a plethora of impressive Indian left-arm pacers. Yash Dayal is one of those names. The 24-year-old has looked good in patches but has been expensive in a few matches. The left-arm quick has picked up nine wickets in seven games this year, and the Titans will hope that the youngster could rise up to the occasion.

Just three wickets short of his 100th wicket in the IPL, Mohammed Shami has been one of the most consistent performers with the ball in the last few years. The pacer has picked up 15-plus wickets for the fourth consecutive year in the league. One of the best seam presentations in the game, Shami’s ability with the new ball has borne fruits for the Titans. Shami has the joint-most wickets in the powerplay in IPL 2022, with 11 of his 18 wickets coming in the first six overs.

Gujarat’s predicted playing XI for the RR Clash:  Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami.