The two most consistent teams of Tata IPL 2022 – Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals – will face each other in the first Qualifier at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday.
Both GT and RR were superb in the league stage and they will look to continue their good show in the playoffs stages.
Gujarat went on to win 10 matches out of the 14 league stage games and finished at the numero uno position in the points table. However, GT lost their last league stage match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Meanwhile, GT opener Wriddhiman Saha had suffered a hamstring injury and it could be a huge blow if he fails to recover on time for the first qualifier. GT have ticked the right boxes throughout the season and they will look to bring their best in the all-important match.
On the other hand, the recent form of Jos Buttler will be a cause of concern for the Rajasthan Royals. The RR opener was at his absolute best in the first seven matches but he has veered off the track in the last seven games as he has failed to get a substantial score. Buttler will look to deliver in the high-octane game for the inaugural champions.
RR’s spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal have been brilliant in the middle overs whereas Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna have been right on the money in the PowerPlay overs. But their death bowling has been a concern and they will look to tighten the screws.
Match Prediction: Rajasthan Royals will enter the contest as slightly favorites as they have a more balanced team than Gujarat Titans.
Gujarat Titans Probable XI: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal.
Rajasthan Royals Probable Playing XI: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna.
