It will be a straightforward battle between the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma and Prasidh Krishna against the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, when Gujarat Titans take on a high-flying
Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, April 4.
Season two of ‘Vaibhav Kand’ has kicked off in style, with the 15-year-old blasting a 15-ball half-century against Chennai Super Kings. But it came in a modest chase of 127 and against an inexperienced domestic attack.
On Saturday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Sooryavanshi will look to take the aggressive route once again, but standing in his way will be a formidable pace trio of Rabada, Siraj and Prasidh, three proven international bowlers keen to test the Gen Alpha batting sensation.
For Titans captain Shubman Gill, one would expect a more measured approach this time, after the Mullanpur match, where Siraj bowled just two overs and Prasidh was only introduced as late as the 13th.
On the batting front, the Narendra Modi Stadium track is expected to be a run-scoring paradise, ideal for playing through the line. With chasing proving to be the preferred trend this season, Rajasthan Royals, armed with tearaway quicks Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer, will look to test Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler early on.
The concern for GT lies in their top order, with none of the top three striking at over 200. Gill (39 off 27) and Buttler (38 off 33) both looked out of sorts against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur, while Sudharsan (13 off 11) is still finding his rhythm after returning from injury.
It does not help that the Titans’ top three, on whom the batting depends, have been out of form and battling their own struggles. To make matters worse, the Indian middle order of Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia has not inspired much confidence either.
Washington Sundar, despite his all-round reputation and World Cup pedigree, has remained an enigma in T20s. With 529 runs at a strike rate of 125 and 40 wickets at an economy of 7.71 across 67 IPL matches, he has been a bits-and-pieces cricketer without a defined role.
Against the Rajasthan Royals, the Titans will need to aim for at least 220 if they bat first to give their bowlers enough cushion to take on Sooryavanshi. If chasing, keeping the opposition under 200 will be crucial.
Gujarat’s death-overs batting over the past two seasons, however, has not been brilliant.
Tewatia, who even bowls for his state team Haryana, has not looked like an attacking option from the outset. Shahrukh, meanwhile, has struggled against quality bowling and it is puzzling that a coach of Ashish Nehra’s calibre has not identified a reliable alternative.
As far as the Royals are concerned, the team looks strong on paper, though questions remain over meritocracy after Assam’s Riyan Parag was appointed skipper ahead of India stars like Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel.
How the batting unit performs under pressure will shape the Royals’ campaign this season, their last under the current management before the Kal Somani-led consortium takes over next year.
(With PTI Inputs)
