Top five player battles to watch out for in GT vs PBKS match No. 17 in IPL 2024

Match No. 17 of the IPL 2024 will be GT vs PBKS contest, which will take place on Thursday in Ahmedabad.

Every game in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is making a big change in the points table. Every team has played 3–4 games, and there is not much difference between the teams. The next match is very important in this context. It will be played between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday at the Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium.

GT won their last game, and with four points, they are in the middle of the IPL 2024 points table. However, PBKS are coming off two consecutive defeats and are desperate for a win. It will be a tough task to beat GT in Ahmedabad. Hence, PBKS need to do something extra ordinary to get an edge in the game.

GT vs PBKS: Head-to-Head

In the last two seasons, Guajrat Titans and Punjab Kings have played only three games in the IPL. GT have two wins under their belts, and PBKS have won one. Meanwhile, GT won the last game played between the two sides in 2023.

GT vs PBKS: Top five player battles to watch

1. Shikhar Dhawan vs Umesh Yadav

Two veteran Indian stars will be up against each other in the powerplay of GT vs PBKS clash. Shikhar Dhawan and Umesh Yadav will be facing each other. Dhawan has been in pretty decent form this season, so is Umesh. These two have played against each other in the IPL many times. Umesh has only dismissed the batter once, but Dhawan hasn’t scored much for him. He has scored 103 runs off 92 balls, at a strike rate of 112 only.

2. Shubman Gill vs Kagiso Rabada

GT skipper Shubman Gill will be a big wicket in the game, and if he stays for a while, he might take the game away from Punjab. But PBKS have Kagiso Rabada, who has enjoyed success bowling against Gill in the last few years. Rabada has dismissed Gill once in tests and twice in ODIs. In the IPL, Gill has only scored 43 runs off 42 balls against Rabada and got out twice.

3. David Miller vs Sam Curran

David Miller scored an unbeaten 44 in a tricky chase against Sunrisers to take his team to victory. He will feel confident after that innings and will be looking to carry on the momentum. But he will be up against Sam Curran, who will be bowling in the middle and final overs. Curran has dismissed him two times in 34 balls in ODIs. In the IPL, he has not dismissed him so far, but Miller has scored only 33 runs from 28 balls against him at a strike rate of 117.9.

4. Jonny Bairstow vs Rashid Khan

Two former SRH players will be in action on Thursday against each other. Jonny Bairstow, who had a decent outing against LSG, will be facing GT’s premier bowler, Rashid Khan. This will be an exciting contest. Both are attacking players by nature and will look to get the better of each other. Bairstow has scored 21 off 15 balls against him in the IPL so far. However, Rashid will look to dismiss him in the game.

5. Liam Livingstone vs Mohit Sharma

Liam Livingstone can be very dangerous in the final overs, and a lot will depend on how he performs. He was limping in the last game but is likely to get fit ahead of the game. He can be unstoppable once he gets going. However, he will be facing Mohit Sharma in the final overs, who looks to have mastered the art of death bowling. Mohit’s performance has helped GT not give away many runs, and he will be very hard to get away from.

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