Ahmedabad, Apr 30:
Searching for some much needed consistency, Gujarat Titans face a stern test against a red-hot Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.
At the halfway stage of the tournament, Gujarat Titans find themselves stuck in mid-table with four wins and as many losses from eight games.
In contrast, defending champions RCB have been in imperious form, registering six victories in eight matches.
RCB’s new ball duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood has wreaked havoc in tandem. While Bhuvneshwar has turned back the clock with his swing masterclass, Hazlewood has troubled the batters with Test match lengths targeting the outside edge.
Add to that, the challenge of facing Krundal Pandya and his barrage of variations in the middle overs.
GT have been labelled as top heavy with Sai Sudharsan, captain Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler again scoring the bulk of the runs. Washington Sundar has proved himself in the middle order while finishers like Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia have not set the stage on fire yet.
Jason Holder has been accommodated in the middle-order to lend more potency.
Both sides met only a week ago at the Chinnaswamy with RCB comfortably chasing down 206 with seven balls to spare. GT have also not been able to dominate at home, having lost two of their three games at Motera.
RCB are favourites to win the game but there is always room for improvement. Jacob Bethell, who played the last two games due to injury to fellow Englishman Phil Salt, was not able to make an impact.
The highly rated star would be itching to make a statement on Thursday night while batting alongside Virat Kohli.
Bethell displayed his special talent during the preceding T20 World Cup and it is only a matter of time before he unleashes his wide range of strokes on the opposition.
RCB totally annihilated Delhi Capitals in their previous game and that will only add to their confidence.
“It’s very important to follow your routines because you know it’s still a long way to go, but I think we are just taking one game at a time. And the positive is, as I mentioned last game also, that different players coming up and doing it for the team, I think that’s a good sign for us,” said RCB Rajat Patidar after the big win in Delhi.
With the tournament entering a crucial phase where every point can shape the playoff race, Thursday’s clash promises to be a defining contest for both sides, though for very different reasons. For Gujarat Titans, it is about breaking free from inconsistency and proving they can match the league’s best under pressure, especially at home where their record has been far from convincing. Much will depend on whether their star-studded top order can once again deliver and if the middle and lower order can finally provide the finishing punch that has often been missing. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, meanwhile, the objective is to continue their relentless march.