IPL 2024, GT vs SRH: Decoding the key player battles
Match 12 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will see the Gujarat Titans host the Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH would be high on confidence, having posted a record-breaking 277/3 against Mumbai Indians in their preceding outing. GT's last assignment saw them lose to Chennai Super Kings. However, both teams have a win and a defeat so far. Here are the probable player battles.
Shubman Gill vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Shubman Gill has been a run-machine for GT but against SRH, he will be up against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Gill thrice in nine IPL innings while conceding 50 runs off 48 deliveries. Bhuvneshwar has scalped 61 wickets in the powerplay, the highest by any bowler in IPL. As per ESPNcricinfo, Gill has a powerplay strike rate of 128.70 (IPL).
David Miller vs Mayank Markande
David Miller will be key for the 2022 champions in this game as he looks to accelerate in the middle and death overs. However, he will have to negate Mayank Markande in this phase. In 52 IPL innings against leg-spinners, Miller has struck at 132.92, while getting dismissed 12 times. The southpaw is yet to tackle Markande in the IPL.
Travis Head vs Spencer Johnson
SRH opener Travis Head was nothing but destructive against MI in his preceding outing, smashing 62 off 24 balls. GT speedster Spencer Johnson would aim to dismiss him early on. He owns 11 wickets in the powerplay phase at an economy of 7.39 (T20s). Head, meanwhile, owns a powerplay strike rate of 133.72 in the 20-over format.
Heinrich Klaasen vs Rashid Khan
Heinrich Klaasen has been in beast mode this season, hammering 143 runs at a strike rate of 226.98 this season. The talismanic Rashid Khan would aim to keep him quiet in the middle overs. He has conceded 24 runs off 18 deliveries against Klaasen in T20 cricket, though he is yet to dismiss the dasher.
Key details about the match
The fixture will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31 (3:30pm IST). The pitch here assists the batters, but pacers can be lethal with the new ball. Spinners can inflict some damage eventually. 8.55 reads the average first-inning run rate at this venue (IPL). Star Sports will telecast the match, fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema for free.
