IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings: Key player battles
What's the story
The fifth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will see Gujarat Titans host Punjab Kings.
The highly-anticipated game is set to take place at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on March 25.
Both teams are eager to start their campaign on a high note, with Punjab Kings being tipped as one of the favorites for this year's title.
Here we decode the anticipated player battles.
#1
Shubman Gill vs Arshdeep Singh
Eyes will be on GT captain Shubman Gill, who has enjoyed operating against PBKS.
His average of 65.12 against PBKS is the highest among batters with at least 500 runs against the franchise.
The opener's battle with Arshdeep Singh would be enticing as the left-arm pacer can swing the new ball.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Arshdeep has trapped Gill once across eight IPL meetings.
The former took seven wickets in powerplay in IPL 2024.
#2
Rahul Tewatia vs Yuzvendra Chahal
With 205 wickets in over 160 matches, Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history.
He would be raring to enhance his numbers in PBKS colors. GT's inexperienced middle order can have a hard time against the veteran leg-spinner.
Rahul Tewatia will have the onus to dominate the wrist-spinner. Notably, the southpaw has a IPL strike rate of 130.48 against leggies.
#3
Shreyas Iyer vs Rashid Khan
PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer will enter IPL 2025 on the back of some great performances.
Against GT, he is likely to tackle the talismanic Rashid Khan in the middle overs.
Though Iyer is known for his ability to go big against spinners, his recent numbers against leg-spinners haven't been impressive.
He has a paltry strike rate of 106.28 against leg-spinners since 2020 (IPL). Rashid has trapped him twice across 10 IPL innings.
#4
Glenn Maxwell vs Kagiso Rabada
Glenn Maxwell, who had a dismal IPL 2024 campaign, would want to shine in PBKS colors.
However, Kagiso Rabada has been a tough nut to crack for Maxwell, having dismissed him thrice across seven T20 innings.
The batter averages just 13.66 in this battle. Moreover, Rabada's IPL strike rate of 15.53 is the second-best among bowlers with 100-plus scalps.
Meanwhile, Maxwell recorded four ducks in IPL 2024.