RR vs GT will see the last year’s finalists face off for a second time in Indian Premier League (IPL) this season. A win will take Rajasthan Royals (RR) to the top of the points table, while Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans (GT) could go four points clear at the top of the standings with a victory.
Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium will host the fixture on Friday at 7:30 PM.
Rajasthan Royals
Jos Buttler will want to rediscover his form after making just 85 runs in the last five matches. The Englishman has a good record against GT, scoring 182 runs in four innings. However, all eyes will be on young Yashasvi Jaiswal, who struck a maiden IPL hundred last week. With 424 runs, he has climbed to second in the Orange Cap race.
Trent Boult is key to RR’s hopes of picking up a second successive win at home. The RR faithful will be hoping that the left-arm pacer will set the tone early by picking up wickets in the powerplay. Though Yuzvendra Chahal hasn’t been at his best in the last few games, Ravichandran has chipped in with wickets and kept opposition batters quiet.
Gujarat Titans
GT batting unit failed to deliver against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Tuesday. Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, and David Miller were dismissed cheaply. Hardik Pandya’s half-century went in vain, while Rahul Tewatia played a quickfire 20. If the batters fire, GT has a good chance of clinching a seventh win this season.
The bowling unit has been the reigning champions’ strength. Mohammed Shami has been outstanding. He has claimed 17 wickets at an economy of 7.05. Meanwhile, spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad are busy picking up wickets in the 16th edition. The Afghanistan duo has taken 23 wickets between them, with Noor boasting an impressive economy of 6.81.
RR vs GT Head-to-Head
GT leads the head-to-head table with three wins in four meetings between two franchises. The Ahmedabad-based franchise’s three wins came last season. Meanwhile, RR’s lone victory came this season. Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer were the architects in the thrilling fixture at Narendra Modi Stadium.
RR vs GT Last Four Meetings
RR & GT IPL 2023 Stats
- Top Run-scorer: Yashasvi Jaiswal – 170 runs (RR); Shubman Gill – 296 runs (GT)
- Most Wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin – 13 wickets (RR); Mohammed Shami – 17 wickets (GT)
- Most Sixes: Yashasvi Jaiswal – 18 sixes (RR); Vijay Shankar – 12 sixes (GT)
RR vs GT – Who Will Win?
RR has the home advantage but faces a GT side, who will be desperate to bounce back after defeat against bottom-placed DC in their last game. It will likely be two points for RR on Friday.