Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans will look to bounce back from the carnage that wonder boy Vaibhav Suryavanshi inflicted on them when they face a stuttering Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL match here on Friday.
GT were left stunned when Rajasthan Royals’ Suryavanshi took the game by storm, smashing the fastest century of the season in just 35 balls and becoming the youngest ever to score an IPL ton at just 14 years and 32 days.
The eight-wicket defeat was crushing despite GT posting a formidable 209/4 but, overall, the result has not changed their position in this IPL.
The Titans are still one of the most consistent teams this season, having a well-balanced squad with depth in both batting and bowling.
The Shubman Gill-led side is currently placed comfortably with six wins from nine matches (12 points), and it needs just two victories from their remaining five fixtures to reach the magical 16-point mark — good enough to secure the qualification for playoffs.
Back at home, GT will be buoyed by their in-form top-order.
Sai Sudharsan, who continues to hold the Orange Cap with 456 runs including five fifties, has been their standout performer.
Gill (389 runs) and Jos Buttler (406 runs) also feature among the season’s top-7 run-getters, forming a formidable trio at the top despite recent hiccups.
On the bowling front, Prasidh Krishna has led the attack impressively, forming a strong pace trio alongside Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma.
In the spin department, Rashid Khan’s return to form — especially his 2/25 against Kolkata Knight Riders — is a major boost, while Washington Sundar has been a steady support option.
In the reverse fixture earlier this season, GT had registered a commanding seven-wicket win over SRH in Hyderabad, built around Mohammed Siraj’s sensational spell of 4/17.
A month later, they’ll be hoping for an encore.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad have slipped into a precarious position and face a must-win scenario.
Last year’s runners-up, known for their explosive brand of cricket, have faltered badly — managing just three wins from nine matches and dropping to ninth place on the points table.
Another defeat would all but knock them out of playoff contention.
SRH’s campaign has seen fleeting sparks, particularly from openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, but consistency has been sorely lacking.
Their top-order failures have often been compounded by a fragile middle-order, with the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ishan Kishan struggling to find form.
Abhishek has failed to cross double digits in the last two games, while Head — despite his fearsome reputation — has scored just one fifty in his last eight outings and appears a shadow of his destructive self.
In a team full of big names, 23-year-old Aniket Verma has emerged as a surprise package.
The Madhya Pradesh batter has fared better than the marquee names like Head, Abhishek, and Klaasen in terms of sixes this season and could be crucial to SRH’s revival hopes.
On the bowling side, Harshal Patel has been their standout performer, especially in their recent clash against Chennai Super Kings.
However, SRH will need much more from the experienced duo of Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami, both of whom have struggled to make a significant impact so far.
Teams (from):
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (Captain), Jos Buttler (wk), B Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar and Karim Janat.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Sachin Baby, Smaran Ravichandran, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.
Match starts at 7:30 pm.
