Domination would actually be an understatement for what Gujarat Titans did to Sunrisers Hyderabad last night in Ahmedabad. That was absolute carnage from the GT bowling attack. They completely dismantled what has arguably been the most destructive batting lineup in the IPL over the last few years.
SRH are known for their explosive batting, but Gujarat simply tore that reputation apart. Defending a target of just 169, GT crushed Hyderabad by 82 runs in one of the most commanding performances of the season. Every SRH batter looked under pressure, and the Gujarat bowlers gave them absolutely no room to settle.
What makes the performance even more impressive is the venue. Ahmedabad is widely considered a batting-friendly ground where strokeplay usually dominates, yet GT managed to make one of the most feared batting units in the league look completely helpless.
As mentioned earlier, domination is far too small a word to describe what unfolded last night. Gujarat Titans didn’t just win — they sent a statement to the rest of the tournament.
Onto tonight’s clash, it is RCB who will be looking to end their Raipur home stretch on a winning note and return to the top of the table once again. However, standing in their way is a side that suddenly looks extremely dangerous — a team almost everyone had written off at the beginning of the season, but one that has now won four matches in a row. Yes, we are talking about KKR.
This promises to be a fascinating contest as the defending champions take on the three-time champions in Raipur one final time this season. Momentum is firmly with Kolkata at the moment, while RCB will be desperate to protect their dominance at home and strengthen their hold near the top of the table.
If current form is anything to go by, this could turn out to be one of the most entertaining games of the week.
Expected Playing 11:
RCB:
- Virat Kohli
- Jacob Bethell
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (C)
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Tim David
- Romario Shephard
- Krunal Pandya
- Josh Hazlewood
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Suyash Sharma
Impact Player- Rasikh Dar
KKR:
- Ajinkhya Rahane (C)
- Finn Allen
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK)
- Cameron Green
- Rinku Singh
- Anukul Roy
- Manish Pandey
- Rovman Powell
- Sunil Narine
- Prashant Solanki
- Kartik Tyagi
Impact Player- Vaibhav Arora
Varun Chakravarthy’s fitness is a major concern for KKR heading into tonight’s game. The mystery spinner was seen moving around with the support of a walking stick/crutch after reportedly injuring his foot during the match against DC. From the looks of it, he is highly unlikely to feature in tonight’s clash.
Head to Head:
| Matches- | 36 |
| RCB Won- | 15 |
| KKR Won- | 20 |
| No Result- | 1 |
Pitch and Weather Conditions:
The pitch in Raipur is probably one of the most difficult surfaces to read in this IPL season. However, one thing that does seem clear is that it offers more assistance to the bowlers than most venues in the tournament. We saw that in the previous match here between RCB and MI, where the bowlers arguably had a bigger impact on the game than the batters.
The surface tends to slow down as the match progresses, which brings the bowlers into play even more, especially the pacers. Variations and change of pace become extremely effective on this wicket. It is also the kind of pitch that should suit someone like Sunil Narine perfectly, making him a key player to watch tonight.
The last game played here went right down to the wire, with RCB defeating MI in a last-ball thriller. What made that result even more surprising was the fact that the target was only 167. Normally, on a flat IPL surface, that score would not create such a tense finish, but Raipur has shown that run-scoring here is far from straightforward.
Because of that, we would suggest batting first and aiming for a total in the range of 180, which could very well prove to be a match-winning score on this surface.
As for the weather at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, conditions are expected to be extremely hot and humid. Temperatures are likely to touch 40°C during the afternoon before gradually dropping to around 35°C before the start of play, and then closer to 32°C by the beginning of the second innings. Safe to say, it is going to be a scorching evening in Raipur.
Prediction:
We’re backing Kolkata Knight Riders to take the win here. It may sound like an odd decision, but the kind of form they’ve been in recently has been scintillating. To come back from losing five matches on the trot and suddenly become a genuine threat to the top teams in the table is remarkable. The captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane has been brilliant, and most importantly, KKR have finally found consistency.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have undoubtedly played the better cricket overall this season, but over the last few games, they’ve looked a little less consistent than before. Even in their previous match, they were pushed much harder than expected.
That said, RCB absolutely have as much of a chance—if not more—of winning this clash. Their squad quality and firepower are undeniable. But with the momentum KKR currently have, especially after beating strong sides like SRH, they just might have enough confidence to pull off another upset.
If you want to witness two of the four remaining veterans from the inaugural 2008 IPL season, Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey, sharing the field once again, then tune into JioHotstar tonight at 7:30 PM IST.
Until next time!
Thank you.
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