The 48th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will be played between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. GT and PBKS will be locking horns with each other for the second time in the forty-eighth match of this season of the IPL. Gujarat Titans are standing at the numero uno position in the IPL 2022 point table whereas Punjab Kings is currently placed at the seventh spot on the points table.
Gujarat Titans have played 9 games this season so far and they have lost just one game with 8 wins already in their pocket. On the other hand, Punjab Kings also played nine matches this season where they managed to win just four games. The Titans played their last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) where they registered a close win by 6 wickets. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia smashed 39 runs and 43 runs respectively for Gujarat Titans in that game.
ALSO READ: Match 48 (GT vs PBKS) – Probable XI And Fantasy XI
On the other hand, PBKS played their last game against Lucknow Super Giants where they lost the game by 20 runs. Mayank Agarwal and Jonny Bairstow scored 25 runs and 32 runs respectively for Punjab Kings in that game. The last time they played against each other this season, Gujarat Titans beat Punjab Kings by 6 wickets.
Ahead of Tuesday’s clash, we take a look at the player battles to watch out for in the GT vs PBKS match.
#1 Mayank Agarwal vs Mohammed Shami
The out-of-form Mayank Agarwal has witnessed a lot of criticism in recent times and it has ranged from mild to scathing and the PBKS skipper will be keen to get his form back. With too many single-digit scores this season, Mayank has looked vulnerable and helpless — something Mohammed Shami will be expected to exploit. Shami has been impressive for the Titans as he has scalped 14 wickets from 9 matches this season at an economy rate of 7.77.
#2 Hardik Pandya vs Kagiso Rabada
The sheer pace and controlled length meet extreme power when GT captain, Hardik Pandya will be up against the Proteas quick Kagiso Rabada. The PBKS fast bowler has been the find of the season for the team, scalping 13 wickets from 8 matches so far, at an economy rate of 8.27. Pandya has been in scintillating form for Gujarat, as he has amassed 308 runs from 8 games at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38.
#3 Liam Livingstone vs Rashid Khan
Liam Livingstone has the best average against spinners in IPL 2022 as he has smashed a boundary every 3.7 balls against them. Against the wily Rashid Khan, he averages 15. While Livingstone has looked in decent form, he has gone off-color in the last couple of games. Rashid was expensive with the ball in the last match but was destructive with the bat. However, he will be eager to exploit the inexperienced Punjab middle-order that’s been good enough for them, so far, this season.
