IPL 2023, GT vs KKR: Decoding the key player battles
What's the story
Match 13 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see the reigning champions Gujarat Titans host Kolkata Knight Riders. The picturesque Narendra Modi Stadium will host the exciting clash. GT have won their first two matches, while KKR are coming off a dominant win over RCB. Both teams have some great players, and it promises to be a riveting contest. Here's more.
Key battle
Shubman Gill vs Umesh Yadav
Shubman Gill started this season with a 63 against CSK. Gill plays the new ball pretty well and will have to tackle Umesh Yadav in the Powerplay. Both players have met each other twice, and Gill has scored 11 runs from five balls without getting dismissed. Umesh has scalped 55 wickets in powerplay overs in the IPL, the fourth-highest wicket-taker in this regard.
Key battle
Hardik Pandya vs Sunil Narine
Hardik Pandya is the glue that binds GT's middle order. He will operate in the middle overs and will have to negotiate with Sunil Narine. In six IPL meetings, Hardik has smoked 56 runs at a strike rate of 151.35 against Narine. The KKR spinner has failed to dismiss him even once. In the middle overs (IPL), Narine has scalped 74 wickets at 27.24.
Key battle
Andre Russell vs Rashid Khan
KKR all-rounder Andre Russell will be a big wicket for GT, and Hardik may unleash Rashid Khan to deal with the dasher. Rashid has dismissed Russell twice in six IPL meetings. The 34-year-old has scored 11 runs with a paltry strike rate of 68.75. He could only manage a solitary boundary against Rashid. Overall, Russell has an IPL strike rate of 156.59 against spinners.
Key battle
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Mohammed Shami
Rahmanullah Gurbaz became the first Aghani player to score IPL fifty after his blazing knock against RCB. He will be key for KKR, and the responsibility of removing him will be given to Mohammed Shami. Gurbaz owns a strike rate of 152.07 against pacers in 113 T20 innings, scoring 1,980 runs. Meanwhile, Shami has scalped 25 wickets in Powerplay since IPL 2020.
Match details
Pitch report, timing, and streaming details
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host this clash. The pitch tends to assist the spinners but the quick outfield will aid the batters as well. 8.04 is the average run rate batting first in the IPL. Star Sports Network will telecast the match, while fans can live-stream it on JioCinema from 3:30pm onward. GT won the only clash against KKR last season.