IPL 2022: Jonny Bairstow might make his debut for Punjab

IPL 2022: Punjab Kings take on Gujarat Titans at the Brabourne Stadium on 8th April.

IPL 2022: With Jitesh Sharma taking on the glove work from Rajapaksa, we can assume that Bairstow will make his debut tonight for Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans.

Both teams won their previous match. Punjab Kings won against Chennai Super Kings by 54 runs, whereas Gujarat Titans won by 14 runs against Delhi Capitals.

Also read: https://www.sportstrumpet.com/virender-sehwag-mayank-should-focus-more-on-batting/

Pitch Report

Expect a familiar high scoring encounter when the two in form teams meet at the Brabourne stadium tonight. Batters have found it easy to pile up runs, so nothing different should be expected tonight. Expect the captain who wins the toss to elect to bowl first, again. Dew might play a role tonight.

Injury Update

Will be updated on the news of an injury.

Playing XI

• Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal(C), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(wk), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora.

• Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade(wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya(C), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Abhinav Manohar, Varun Aaron, Mohammad Shami, Lockie Ferguson.

Key Players

Punjab Kings:

1. Shikhar Dhawan – The left handed Indian opener has looked in good form in the previous 3 matches but, has failed to convert his starts. He scored 30+ twice – against CSK(33) and against RCB(43). Expect him to convert the start into a big score tonight.
2. Liam Livingstone – The big hitting Englishman scored a quickfire 60 against CSK. He smashed the bowlers all over the park. Him regaining top form is a bad omen for the bowlers of the opponent team.
3. Kagiso Rabada – The South African pacer joined Punjab Kings for a massive amount of 9.25 crore. He has performed decently, picking up 2 for 51 in his 2 matches. Still, a lot more is expected from the 26 year old. If Punjab are to win, Rabada or Vaibhav Arora need to get the wicket of Shubman Gill at the start.

Gujarat Titans:

1. Shubman Gill – The Indian player scored a magnificent 88 in the previous match against Delhi Capitals. He looked in neat form in that innings. For Gujarat Titans to post/ chase a big score, a strong start will be required from Shubman Gill.
2. Hardik Pandya – The Gujarat skipper has had a good start to the tournament. He has looked dangerous with the bat and bowled a brilliant spell of 1/24 in the previous game. If he is in form tonight, it will be very tough for Punjab Kings to get a win.
3. Mohammad Shami – Punjab Kings have gotten a flyer of a start in all the matches they have played. This includes them scoring 72 in the 6 overs against CSK. If GT are to prevent this from happening, Mohammad Shami will be the key. The Indian pacer has swung the ball both ways and has troubled the batsmen in both the matches he has played. With Mayank Agarwal low on confidence, Mohammad Shami will be looking to pick his scalp.

The team winning tonight will most probably go to the 2nd spot in the table.