The second match of Sunday’s (April 21) IPL 2024 double-header features two struggling teams desperate to turn their seasons around – Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT). The match will be played at the Maharaj Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh.
Both PBKS and GT have been on a downward spiral. PBKS has lost their last three matches, most recently falling short by a narrow 9 runs to Mumbai Indians. While uncapped stars in Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma have done the bulk of the scoring, PBKS’ top-order need to step up.
GT hasn’t fared much better, succumbing to a 4-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals in their previous outing. For the Titans, all eyes will be on their captain, Shubman Gill, to lead from the front. Rashid Khan’s spin wizardry will be a key factor against a shaky PBKS middle order as well. This match promises to be a close encounter, with the winner taking a crucial step towards reviving their IPL 2024 campaign.
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Maharaja Yadavindra Singh (MYS) International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur Pitch report
The pitch at the Mullanpur Stadium has not been a typical high-scoring venue witnessed in other IPL matches. While traditionally batsmen-friendly, this season it has presented a different challenge. The average first-innings score after 4 games played here in IPL 2024 is a modest 173.75 runs, indicating batsmen will have to work hard to accumulate runs.
This trend suggests a slower pitch than usual, offering some assistance to bowlers. Pacers can extract swing and seam movement early on, while spinners are likely to find some grip and turn as the innings progresses.
PBKS vs GT Top Fantasy picks
Shubman Gill
Sam Curran
Rashid Khan
PBKS vs GT Dream11 prediction
Wicket-keepers: Wriddhiman Saha
Batters: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rilee Rossouw
All-rounders: Sam Curran
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Mohit Sharma, Rashid Khan
Captain/ Vice-captain: Shubman Gill/Rashid Khan
Punjab Kings (PBKS) Predicted XI
Sam Curran (C), Prabsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Rilee Rossouw, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh [Impact Sub: Harpreet Singh Bhatia]
Gujarat Titans (GT) Predicted XI
Shubman Gill (C), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Spencer Johnson, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Warrier [Impact Sub: Umesh Yadav]
