IPL 2023: 3 Key Match-Ups to Watch-Out in PBKS VS GT Match No.18

IPL 2023: The PCA IS Bindra Stadium will host Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in match number 18 of the ongoing IPL 2023 season on April 13, Thursday. This game promises to be another nail-biter. So far in the ongoing season, both teams have picked up two wins and a defeat. They have played three matches each this season. When it comes to the head-to-head record between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans, it stands pretty even-stevens at the moment with both teams outclassing each other once during the previous edition of the IPL. 

PBKS won their first two games of the season. Their game was against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), but Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) handed them a defeat in their previous outing. Apart from captain Shikhar Dhawan, who starred with an unbeaten 99, no other batter could make a significant contribution to the team’s total. PBKS batters were disappointed big time in the last game. With not many runs to save, bowlers had very little role to play against the SRH batters. Punjab will welcome the services of Liam Livingstone back into the squad.

GT started their season with wins against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) However, they suffered an unlikely defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last game. Gujarat will not go much into this defeat as things slipped away from them in the final over. Skipper Hardik Pandya, who missed out on the last game, is likely to play this game. It’ll be interesting to see whether Yash Dayal plays this game or not after getting smacked for five sixes in the last over. 

IPL 2023: Top Player Battles to Keep an Eye On in PBKS VS GT Game:

1) Shubman Gill vs Arshdeep Singh

The battle of two talented young cricketers, who have already made a mark in the ongoing season of the IPL. Shubman Gill is in the form of his life this year with the bat in international cricket. He has carried that form with him in the IPL. In IPL 2023, the right-handed batter has smashed 116 runs in three outings at an average of 38.66. Eying Gill’s wicket will be Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm seamer has been successful in getting early breakthroughs for his team and he will look to get Gill early on with the new ball. Arshdeep has six wickets to his name from three games at 14.33 this season. When it comes to the face-off between the two teams, Shubman has scored 37 runs from 29 balls against Arshdeep, with the Punjab-based bowler dismissing Gill once.

2) Liam Livingstone vs Rashid Khan

Livingstone’s arrival will bolster the middle order of PBKS. In the IPL 2022 season, Livingstone racked up 437 runs from 14 matches at a blistering strike rate of 182.08 with four half-centuries to his name. The hard-hitting English batter is known for his ability to tonk the ball a long way. To stop Livingstone’s carnage, GT will have to bring their best bowler Rashid Khan. Across four meetings in the IPL, Livingstone has scored 26 runs off Rashid’s bowling, while averaging only 8.66. The ace leg spinner has dismissed Livingstone on three occasions already. Overall in the T20 format, Livingstone has scored 129 runs against Rashid having been dismissed four times against the spin wizard. This will be an intriguing battle as Livingstone’s struggle against spinners is quite evident.

IPL 2023: 1) Shikhar Dhawan vs Mohammed Shami

The PBKS skipper has smacked 225 runs at a strike rate of 149.00. Moreover, he was dismissed just once in IPL 2023 thus far. None of the other PBKS batters have aggregated more than 100 runs, which suggests that the PBKS opener has carried the team on his shoulders. Seeing the back of him early in the innings would be GT’s plan. Once he gets set he anchors the innings and scores big. The responsibility of getting him out early in the powerplay will be on Gujarat pacer Mohammed Shami. The right-arm pacer has six scalps from three games this season at an average of 16.33. In the 13 meetings, Dhawan has scored 113 runs against Shami, while striking at 148.68. Notably, Shami is yet to dismiss Dhawan in the IPL. This could be his opportunity.