Today at IPL 2023Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders; Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings; Key Players, Match Timings, Toss

By India Today Sports DeskSunday’s IPL 2023 double-header will see Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans clashing with Nitish Rana-led Kolkata Knight Riders, followed by Aiden Markram’s SunRisers Hyderabad playing against Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings.

Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders will begin at 3:30 PM IST, while Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings will take place at 7:30 PM IST on April 9.

IPL 2023Points Table

GT vs KKR

The defending champions Gujarat Titans are flying high, having won their first two matches. After securing an away win recently in New Delhi, GT have headed home to host KKR at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. GT are tough to beat at home, as they kicked off their IPL 2023 with a win over CSK at home.

On the other hand, KKR arrived in Ahmedabad on the back of a stunning victory over old rivals RCB. KKR, under the leadership of Nitish Rana, started their 2023 season with a defeat (against PBKS) but quickly bounced back in their second match.

SRH vs PBKS

SunRisers Hyderabad will be looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat when they host Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. SRH had the worst of the starts in 2023, going down against RR and LSG. In the first match, SRH were without their captain and South African stars, but their addition in the second match did not change SRH’s fortunes.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, had a perfect start to their 2023 campaign, winning their first two matches. On both occasions (against KKR and RR), PBKS displayed their all-round ability, with both batters and bowlers contributing. PBKS will be expecting the same result when they meet SRH.

PREVIOUS MEETING

GT vs KKRThe teams met only once last season. Gujarat Titans beat Kolkata Knight Riders by eight runs in Mumbai.

SRH vs PBKSThe teams clashed twice last season. Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Punjab Kings by seven wickets in the first fixture, whereas Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in the second tie. Both matches took place in Mumbai.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

GT vs KKRGujarat Titans lead Kolkata Knight Riders 1-0
SRH vs PBKSSunrisers Hyderabad lead Punjab Kings 13-7

INJURY CONCERN

GT vs KKRLockie Ferguson has started bowling with a longer run, but his fitness remains unknown. There is no known injury in the Gujarat Titans camp.

SRH vs PBKSBhanuka Rajapaksa, who was hit by Shikhar Dhawan and retired hurt against Rajasthan Royals, is fit for PBKS. There is no known injury in the SunRisers Hyderabad camp.

PITCH REPORT

GT vs KKRAhmedabad pitch offers high-scoring games as the Narendra Modi Stadium has big dimensions. It has both red and black soil pitches and GT could prefer a red-soil pitch as it offers relatively less turn against spin-heavy KKR.

SRH vs PBKSFast bowlers have fared well at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Pace is expected to play a more vital role than spin, as fast bowlers have an average of 25.17 and an economy rate of 8.07 at the venue.

PREDICTED PLAYING XIS

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

Kolkata Knight RidersVenkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mandeep Singh/N Jagadeesan, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

Sunrisers HyderabadAbhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Harry Brook, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Washington Sundar, Adil Rashid/Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik

Punjab KingsShikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh.