IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans eyes third straight win as it hosts Kolkata Knight Riders

After a convincing home win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders takes on defending champion Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Published : Apr 08, 2023 18:02 IST , AHMEDABAD - 3 MINS READ

Gujarat Titans Captain Hardik Pandya (right) with Head Coach Ashish Nehra (center) during a practice session ahead of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Gujarat Titans Captain Hardik Pandya (right) with Head Coach Ashish Nehra (center) during a practice session ahead of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI / The Hindu
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Gujarat Titans Captain Hardik Pandya (right) with Head Coach Ashish Nehra (center) during a practice session ahead of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI / The Hindu

Gujarat Titans will be in search of its third consecutive IPL 2023 win when it takes on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Nitish Rana’s side, having had a shaky start to this year’s competition, reeled off an 81-run win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at home.

There were a few positives for KKR, with Shardul Thakur and Rinku Singh among the runs. A stable batter at No. 3 is still a concern for them, but thanks to match-winning spinners like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, the Knight Riders will feel confident. If KKR adopts a three-man spin attack, it could consider opening the bowling with Narine while Chakravarthy and the third spinner operate through the middle overs. The lack of penetrative fast bowling options means KKR must rely on its potent spin options for early breakthroughs.

Knight Riders has signed England batter Jason Roy, for Rs 2.8 crore, as a replacement player. Roy last played the IPL in 2021, having pulled out in 2022 after being acquired by the Titans in the auction. KKR’s batting line-up, on paper, is arguably one of the weakest in the competition – especially if Andre Russell fails to fire and Venkatesh Iyer’s starting troubles continue. Much will depend on whether the openers can click but they will have to contend with Mohammad Shami’s early seam movement and Alzarri Joseph’s middle-over hostility. Roy has joined the Kolkata side and if available for Sunday, he will be a big boost for it.

KKR’s batting line-up blended right and left-handers – three apiece in the top six – in the win against RCB, a combination that will lend flexibility in tackling Rashid Khan. The Titans leggie has dismissed left-handers 44 times in the IPL at 6.55 and right-handers 73 times at 6.30. Rashid’s faceoff with Russell could be decisive; he has dismissed him four times in T20 cricket and conceded 54 off 38.

Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan has done a commendable job filling the gap left by Kane Williamson at No. 3 for Gujarat Titans. Not for nothing did Indian spin spearhead R. Ashwin want him fast-tracked into the Tamil Nadu side after he had played just one TNPL game in 2021. Sudharsan had scored 358 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of just under 144 that year.

The presence of a finisher like David Miller has allowed GT to combine Miller’s belligerence with the calmness of anchor players like Sudharsan.

The Narendra Modi Stadium has 11 pitches, six red and five black-soil pitches. The one used for the IPL opener had bounce, and although there was not much pace in it, it still offered some appreciable seam movement early on. KKR’s potent spin department would perhaps discourage GT from using a black-soil deck that turns and stops — one of the many advantages of the home-and-away format, where teams can tailor the pitches at home to challenge the visiting teams.

Both sides have been robust in death bowling, conceding less than 10 runs per over between 17-20. The attack with better planning and accuracy in execution will enjoy an upper hand in Ahmedabad.

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