After the return of Sanju Samson as captain, Rajasthan Royals look stronger and are now set to face Gujarat Titans in their next match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This won’t be an easy task for Rajasthan, as Gujarat are very strong at home. However, Gujarat also cannot afford to take Rajasthan lightly.
Both teams are coming off a win. Rajasthan defeated Punjab Kings in their own backyard, while Gujarat clinched victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad on their home turf. With confidence running high in both camps, picking the best playing XI will be a challenge for both captains.
Will Rajasthan Make Any Changes?
Rajasthan performed well in both batting and bowling in their previous match. Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Sanju Samson provided a fiery start, and Riyan Parag impressed again at number three with an unbeaten 43. Though Nitish Rana failed to score big in the last match, he had hit a half-century in the match before that. These three are expected to retain their spots.
Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel are locked in as finishers and unlikely to be dropped.
In bowling, Sanju might consider a change. Fast bowler Akash Madhwal, who was excellent for Mumbai Indians last season, hasn’t yet featured. He could replace Yudhvir Singh, who went wicketless and gave away 20 runs in two overs in the last match. The rest of the bowling line-up—Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana—is likely to stay the same.
What Will Be Gujarat’s Playing XI?
For Gujarat, this match is a matter of pride as they play at home. No team wants to lose in front of its home crowd. In the last match, Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar played fantastic knocks—Gill scored 61, while Sundar, on debut for GT, hit 49 while batting up the order.
Sherfane Rutherford also played a blistering finish to seal the game. Gujarat might consider one change in the bowling department. Ishant Sharma hasn’t been very impactful, and left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya could be brought in as a replacement.
Probable Playing XIs for GT vs RR:
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (Captain/WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Sandeep Sharma.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (Captain), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Kulwant Khejroliya, Prasidh Krishna.