Even when Gujarat Titans (GT) were battling their inner issues, and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were soaring high, both teams managed only one result: GT triumphing over Hyderabad. Barring one game in their debut season, GT have never let SRH get the better of them. Interestingly, SRH made the playoffs last year after a washout against Titans, which means even during their dominant run against other teams, they couldn’t make a statement against Gujarat. This time, though, GT have plenty of reasons to keep this pattern going.
Gujarat are everything SRH wanted to be this year, or were expected to be. They have a dangerous top order, they are sitting calmly in the top four with playoffs within their arm’s length, and they are scoring their runs quicker than any other team.
Two of their players could realistically walk away with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap from this game. So, SRH breaking the losing streak will be no small task.
And sticking to this pattern could prove lethal for SRH. A defeat in this game would very much end their chances of qualifying for the next phase. Even if they somehow manage to go against history, their form, and GT’s brilliance this season, they would still need to win all of their remaining games.
GT, meanwhile, are out of harm’s way for now. But losing this game, followed by a late-season rejuvenation from one of the bottom-placed teams, could make things tricky. GT, though, would prefer not to overthink it, not just yet.
Team Overview:
GT average 43.97 this season, which is not only the highest among all teams in the ongoing edition, but also the highest across seasons. This is largely the reason why they have hardly, if ever, lurked out of the top four spots. A big chunk of this owes to their top three batters: Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, and Shubman Gill. Not only are they the only team besides Punjab Kings (PBKS) to stick with the same upper order throughout the tournament, but also their No. 1 to No. 3 batters average the highest this season, 56.86. Top it all up with the fact that Gujarat have the best win-to-loss ratio at home this season, having lost only one game here.
Their dominance with the ball often gets overshadowed by their star-studded batting lineup. Prasidh Krishna is just one wicket away from grabbing the Purple Cap, and Mohammad Siraj and Sai Kishore have done well to complement him. On Ahmedabad’s deck, which prefers batters over bowlers, GT’s bowling attack will be key to halting SRH’s batters.
Hyderabad, meanwhile, have tons of questions that will need answers before the next season, the top of which will be: where do they go from here, if and when they get disqualified? They, in all their sanity, would not think of banking their hopes on aggression doing the job for them, at least not in isolation. They have blockbuster players. Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen are not the kind of players who can only slog blindly. But once you start getting results off going bang-bang, the return isn’t very easy. They will have a year to recalibrate and come back with a wiser mindset, or gear up for another season of chastening next year.
Head-to-Head Matches:
SRH have only defeated GT once, in 2022. Excluding that match, GT have won all remaining four.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Narendra Modi Stadium is a high-scoring venue. This season has seen teams scoring over 10 runs per over in all but one game. On Ahmedabad’s black-soil pitch, going for a gigantic total won’t be improbable. But bowlers can hope to use the bounce off the surface to their advantage.
Prediction:
GT are in great form, and although SRH are coming off a win, it will take tons of effort to outdo a team like Gujarat at their home.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
