IPL 2023, GT vs LSG: Hardik takes on Krunal in 'Battle of Pandya Brothers'
IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans will host Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday. With KL Rahul out for the season remainder, Krunal Pandya will lead the visitors against his brother Hardik Pandya, who leads the hosts.
FollowIt will be a test of wits between the Pandya brothers -- Hardik and Krunal -- when defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) clash with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While Hardik has captained the Indian team multiple times and is leading GT for the second year, Krunal has led the Baroda team in domestic cricket and was elevated to LSG captain without a regular skipper KL Rahul.
The two have become the first brothers to captain teams in the IPL. Under Hardik, GT is perched on top of the leaderboard with 14 points. Krunal, on the other hand, led LSG in the washed-out match against former five-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He will be tasked with raising the morale of the side, which has lost its regular skipper and pacer, Jaydev Unadkat.
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LSG, second on the points table with 11 points, enters the fixture on the back of a loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and a washed-out game against CSK. Rahul, who limped off the field against RCB, has ruled himself out of the remainder of the season as he is set to undergo thigh surgery.
Adding to its woes, pacer Unadkat will also play no part in this IPL after sustaining a shoulder injury. In its previous two games, the batting unit has disappointed as the Lucknow side could not chase or put totals over 130 on the board. It has blown hot and cold this season. While on the one hand, it has given commanding performances, it also has a self-destruct button, which goes off.
LSG has no talent shortage in its line-up, but the inconsistent form of their batters is hurting the team. It has named the experienced Karun Nair as a replacement for Rahul. Come Sunday, LSG will have to be at its best against a formidable GT bowling attack. In the absence of pacer Mark Wood, quick Afghan Naveen-ul-Haq has picked wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra have led the LSG spin department well.
On the other hand, the Titans are coming off a morale-boosting nine-wicket win against former champion Rajasthan Royals (RR), where all their departments fired in unison. The Gujarat bowlers have lived up to their top billing. Led by veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and the wily Rashid Khan, they have rarely faltered this season.
Irish medium pacer Josh Little and Afghan spinner Noor Ahmed have also been impactful in their debut season. The batters, who had an off day against Delhi Capitals, returned with a vengeance in the last game to decimate the 119-run target in 13.5 overs. The aim will be to continue the excellent run at the business end of the tournament.
Squads
LSG: Krunal Pandya (c), Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Quinton de Kock, Krishnappa Gowtham, Arpit Guleria, Deepak Hooda, Prerak Mankad, Karun Nair, Kyle Mayers, Amit Mishra, Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Daniel Sams, Karan Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Yash Thakur and Yudhvir Singh.
GT: Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudharsan, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Darshan Nalkande, Jayant Yadav, R Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Dasun Shanaka, Odean Smith, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Joshua Little and Mohit Sharma.
Match details
Date and day: May 7, 2023 (Sunday)
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Time: 3.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and other Star Sports regional language channels - Also available in HD
Where to watch (Online): JioCinema
