These two teams have a history of intense competition, having faced each other in the IPL finale in 2022. While Gujarat Titans emerged as champions in their inaugural season, Rajasthan Royals will be seeking redemption and hoping to turn the tables in Match No. 23 on Sunday, April 16 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
The Gujarat Titans have had a strong start to the season, winning three out of four games with a healthy net run rate of +0.341. They have also maintained their winning momentum by securing a victory in their last match against the Punjab Kings.
On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals are coming off a thrilling last-ball win against the Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. With six points and an excellent net run rate of +1.588, they continue to top the points table.
It will be interesting to see whether the Gujarat Titans can continue their winning streak on their home ground, or if Rajasthan Royals can maintain their winning momentum and secure a victory in what promises to be an exciting encounter. The top bookmakers in India have fantastic IPL odds with them.
In their previous match against Punjab Kings, GT could have won comfortably, but they stretched it till the second last ball of the match. Shubhman Gill scored 67 off 49 balls but failed to finish the match. David Miller, appointed as the team's finisher, could only manage 17 off 18 balls, taking the match to the last over, where Rahul Tewatia's brilliance sealed the game. The experienced Mohit Sharma, playing his first match, took two wickets in his four overs and was named the Man of the Match..
Gujarat Titans are unlikely to change their Playing XI but if they are chasing a mammoth total, they can look to bring in Vijay Shankar as an impact player.
Predicted Lineup: W Saha(wk), Shubhman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya(c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma, Joshua Little.
RR won a thrilling match against CSK by 3 runs. MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja almost sealed the game for Chennai with their excellent knocks, but Sandeep Sharma kept his nerves in the last over, defending 21 runs. Jos Buttler played a sensible knock of 52 runs off 36 balls, and contributions from Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Shimron Hetmyer helped Rajasthan post 175 runs on the board. Ravichandran Ashwin conceded only 25 runs and took two wickets, while Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets and conceded 27 runs. R Ashwin was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
Rajasthan Royals would look to bring back their star bowler Trent Boult in their playing XI, who was out with a niggle in their last match.
Predicted Lineup: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, R Ashwin, Jason Holder, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal.
This match is expected to be another nail-biter, with both teams showcasing excellent performances so far. However, both team captains have yet to create a significant impact, and will look to do so in this upcoming match. This match features two top teams, making it a challenging one to predict. However, we slightly lean towards Rajasthan Royals having the edge. Hence Rajasthan Royals will win the game.