The match 48 of IPL 2023 between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday, 5 May promises to be an exciting contest. Rajasthan is on the fourth position in the points table, while Gujarat is on the first position.
RR, led by Sanju Samson, have won five and lost four matches so far, while GT, captained by Hardik Pandya, have won six and lost four matches in their campaign. In their last match, RR suffered huge loss against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Meanwhile, GT were dominated by the Delhi Capitals (DC) in their last match.
Two highly skilled teams are set to collide in what promises to be an exciting match. With both the teams eager to secure their sixth and seventh win in the IPL 2023. Both teams have played seven and eight matches in this season. Rajasthan has won 1 game, while Gujarat has won 3 games so far in the head to head encounters.
Also Read: Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans Head To Head Record in IPL
Here are three player battles to watch out for during RR vs GT match:
1) Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Mohammad Shami
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been the best batter in the tournament this season, will be coming off a high after scoring a century in his last match against MI. However, Mohammad Shami is one of the best new-ball bowlers in the league and has had the upper hand over RR openers, picking up 4 wickets in just the first three overs of his spell against DC. This opening duel between Jaiswal and Shami will set the tone for the match.
2) Hardik Pandya vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Hardik Pandya’s form with the bat has been inconsistent so far, and RR may turn to Yuzvendra Chahal to take him on. Chahal has had success against Pandya in the past, claiming his wicket thrice in 10 IPL meetings. Pandya has only managed to score 48 runs against Chahal, with a strike rate of 87.27. It will be interesting to see how Pandya tackles the veteran leggie in their upcoming match.
3) Sanju Samson vs Rashid Khan
In the last match between RR and their opponents, Sanju Samson’s counterattack against Rashid Khan turned the match in RR’s favor. The skipper smashed Khan for 3 sixes in 3 balls and helped RR record a famous win. However, Khan will be keen to settle scores when he comes up against Samson this time around. The Afghan spinner doesn’t like being targeted in this manner and will want to put up a special performance in the match.