Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans Predictions: Both the teams are coming into the game on back of a defeat

Playing in their fourth game of the season Punjab Kings will welcome Gujarat Titans in the 18th game of the season at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on 13th April. The teams have had similar performances in the tournament so far but they are coming into the game on the back of a defeat. Who will win this game?

The Punjab Kings had a strong start to the season with two consecutive wins but stumbled in their last match against SRH at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. Despite this setback, the Kings have plenty of time to recover in the tournament and are considered serious contenders for a playoff spot by most IPL betting apps.

In the upcoming match, the Kings will be relying heavily on Shikhar Dhawan, who scored an unbeaten 99 in the last match to take his team to a respectable total. He is now a top contender for the Orange Cap. His opening partnership with Prabhsimran Singh will be crucial for the team.

However, the middle order has been a weak spot for the Kings, with Jitesh Sharma and Shahrukh Khan struggling to provide stability and the all-rounders, Sam Curran and Sikandar Raza, failing to give a late flourish. The bowling has also been inconsistent, with seamers Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis doing well but spinners Raza and Rahul Chahar struggling, and Curran being expensive this season. The team needs to work better as a unit to succeed in the upcoming match.

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

Gujarat Titans had a positive start to the season, but their winning streak was ended by Kolkata Knight Riders last weekend. Despite defending a massive target of 205, the stand-in captain Rashid Khan almost guaranteed a victory for the hosts by claiming the first hat trick of the 2023 season. However, KKR's Rinku Singh hit five consecutive sixes on the last five deliveries to secure a historic win. 

Despite the loss, Gujarat Titans are keen to put that behind them and start anew. The top-order batsmen, including Shubham Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Vijay Shankar, are in good form. However, Wriddhiman Saha has yet to play a significant inning this season and will be looking to score some runs. The Titans have depth in their batting, thanks to the presence of Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan.

So far, the seamers Mohammad Shami and Alzarri Joseph have done an excellent job with the new ball, while Rashid Khan has outsmarted numerous batsmen with his spin. However, the team seems to lack a bit in the fifth bowler. Nonetheless, the Titans will again depend on their batting to put up a big total in this match.

Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Joshua Little, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph

The IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali is known for its batting-friendly pitch, with an average first-inning score of approximately 168 in the evening games. The bowlers may face some difficulty in gripping the ball due to the dew that could develop later in the match. So they have to make 15-20 runs more than the par score to have a fighting chance in the second half. However, the presence of green patches on the pitch could assist the quicker bowlers in the initial stages of the match. The captain who wins the toss ought to opt to bowl first. We expect a close game between these two quality sides but with home advantage we expect Punjab to bounce back after a disastrous performance.