IPL 2025: High-flying Titans look to extend dominant run against deflated LSG - The Statesman

Having already secured their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs, former champions Gujarat Titans (GT) will look to cement their stay at the top of the points table when they take on a struggling

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a league match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Having already secured their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs, former champions Gujarat Titans (GT) will look to cement their stay at the top of the points table when they take on a struggling

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a league match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The upcoming clash shapes up as a clear mismatch based on recent form. Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants have endured a downward spiral, losing four consecutive games. Their playoff hopes

were officially extinguished following a six-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last outing.

On the other hand, Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans have been in dominant form, winning five of their last six games to claim the top spot with 18 points from 12 matches. A ruthless 10-wicket

demolition of Delhi Capitals in their previous encounter further underscored GT’s all-round strength and reinforced their credentials as serious title contenders.

In that game, Shubman Gill and his opening partner Sai Sudharsan stitched together a record-breaking 205-run unbeaten stand while chasing a challenging target. Sudharsan’s blistering 108 off

61 balls, combined with Gill’s composed 93 off 53, not only highlighted their batting firepower but also reinforced the psychological dominance GT holds over their rivals this season.

For GT, everything seems to have fallen into place at the right time. Besides the duo of Sudharsan (617 runs) and skipper Shubman Gill (601), Jos Buttler (500) has also been in prolific

form, laying the foundation for most of the team’s victories. Together, they have racked up 16 half-centuries and a century, dominating the tournament’s batting attacks with clinical

consistency.

Such top-order dominance, however, has left the middle order largely untested. But in Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia, the Titans are equipped with the ability of

setting up the game if required and using the long handle according to the demand of the situation.

In sharp contrast, LSG have found the going hard this season. Despite Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh’s fighting 115-run stand against SRH, the Super Giants failed to defend a competitive

total due to poor bowling effort. The inconsistency of their batting department has affected the tempo, and the problems were compounded by the lack of runs from captain Pant. Also in the

middle order, Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni have failed to contribute consistently.

The bowling unit, comprising the likes of Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi have failed to fire in unison throughout the season. Left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan missed the

entire season, while express quick Mayank Yadav, who was retained with high hopes, spent most of it on the sidelines.

To make matters worse, LSG will be without their most successful bowler this season, spinner Digvesh Rathi, who has claimed 14 wickets at an economy of 8.18. He has been handed a one-match

suspension for his on-field altercation with Abhishek Sharma in the previous game, further denting their faltering campaign.

Coming to GT’s bowling unit, their Indian pace battery has led the charge, with Prasidh Krishna being the leading wicket-taker this season after snaring 21 wickets. Mohammed Siraj and

left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore have chipped in with 15 wickets each. Adding further firepower to the attack is the return of South African pace ace Kagiso Rabada, who missed most of the

season following a suspension for recreational drug use.

With GT winning their last four games at the venue, the team will be eager to continue the momentum heading into the business end of the tournament.

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Anuj Rawat (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Nishant Sidhu, Mahipal Lomror, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Arshad Khan, R Sai

Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Karim Janat, B Sai Sudharsan, Dasun Shanaka, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gerald Coetzee, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant

Khejroliya, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan.