Gujarat Titans (GT) will be locking horns with Delhi Capitals (DC) in match number 44 of the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 2. Both teams have witnessed pretty opposite outings in the season so far. Defending champions Gujarat are currently placed at the top of the points table, winning six out of their first eight games.
They are the only team with 12 points in under their belt at this juncture. Delhi, on the other hand, kicked off their campaign with a five-match losing streak. While they made a string comeback by winning a couple of back-to-back games, they slumped to their sixth loss following their nine-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). David Warner and his men are currently the wooden spooners of IPL 2023 after managing to win just two of their eight outings.
However, a comprehensive win over the table-toppers could do wonders for their confidence in the tournament from hear on. This will be the second time that these two teams will square off against each other this season. Gujarat completed a comfortable six-wicket win in the reverse fixture, successfully chasing a 163-run total at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Here, we look at three match-ups that could have a major impact in the upcoming GT vs DC game:
#1 Mohammed Shami vs David Warner
Mohammed Shami is witnessing a purple patch in this tournament so far, especially with the new ball. He has provided Gujarat with early breakthroughs on several occasions in the powerplay. He will be Hardik Pandya’s main man against DC skipper David Warner, who has had to do the bulk of the heavy lifting with the bat for his team. The southpaw is the leading run-getter for Delhi in this edition, aggregating 306 runs, including four half-centuries. Warner has enjoyed moderate success against Shami in the IPL, scoring 107 runs off 76 balls with a couple of dismissals.
#2 Shubman Gill vs Anrich Nortje
GT opener Shubman Gill has been the top batting performer for his team, mustering 333 runs in eight innings. However, he has failed to do much against DC speedster Anrich Nortje. The tearaway quick has bowled 21 deliveries to Gill in the IPL and has been able to dismiss him a couple of times. While Nortje has picked up just six wickets from seven matches, he could give the GT opener a torrid time with a fiery spell at the Narendra Modi Stadium,
#3 Rashid Khan vs Mitchell Marsh
GT leg spinner Rashid Khan has a knack for getting big wickets at crucial junctures of the game. He has picked 14 wickets in eight games. His battle against DC all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is expected to be a closely fought one. While the batters have been cautious against Rashid in T20 cricket, Marsh could also look to take an attacking approach. However, the seasoned bowler has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and could very well get the better of the fiery Australian batter.
