IPL 2023: 3 Key Match-Ups to Watch-Out in GT VS KKR Match No.13

Gujarat Titans (GT) will host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 13th match of the ongoing edition of the IPL 2023 on Sunday, April 9, at their home ground- Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. This will be the first game between the two teams this season with one more to be played in Kolkata later this month. When it comes to the head-to-head record, Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders have met only one instance in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Titans winning that game and leading the battle over. 

Like how they ended their first season, Gujarat Titans have started this season with a bang, winning both their games so far in IPL 2023. They started their title defense at home by beating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a close encounter. In their second league game, they outplayed Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi to make it two in two. David Miller’s addition has strengthened the batting order and now the team looks better than ever. Playing their second home game this season, GT will start as favorites to win the game and make it three in three.

After losing the first game by DLS method, the Knights from Kolkata roared back with a thumping victory at home against their age-old rivals- Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This win will surely boost the confidence of the Knight Riders, a team that is struggling with injuries and player unavailabilities. Shardul Thakur played a blinder. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled a brilliant spell with Sunil Narine. The Knights also found a new hero with the ball in the form of Suyash Sharma. Top-order batting will be something they need to work on to get the better of the Titans in an afternoon game. 

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

3) Hardik Pandya vs Varun Chakaravarthy 

Hardik Pandya has scored 366 runs at an average of 61 and SR of 173.46 against KKR. This includes his highest score (91) in the IPL. Varun Chakravarthy is among the few bowlers in the KKR setup to have managed to keep Hardik Pandya quiet (21 runs off 21 balls) in the IPL but hasn’t dismissed him. Given his good start to the season, Chakaravarthy will be looking to go one-up against Pandya.

2) Shubman Gill vs Sunil Narine 

The most interesting of all the battles will be this one. Young and Inform Shubman Gill against the veteran spin master Sunil Narine. Shubman Gill played a match-winning knock in the first game of IPL 2023 but he got out cheaply in the next game. Narine didn’t have a great start against Punjab Kings (PBKS) but he was at his absolute best against RCB, where he bagged two wickets including one of Virat Kohli. After dismissing RCB’s opener, Narine will aim for the wicket of Gill.

1) Andre Russell vs Rashid Khan

Two of the biggest match-winners in T20 cricket, Andre Russell and Rashid Khan will be up against each other in match 13 of IPL 2023. Rashid Khan has wreaked havoc in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league. He has featured in two games and bagged five wickets at an economy of 7.12. Russell hasn’t come to the party yet. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck. KKR would be hoping that Russell finds his mojo in this game and contribute to his team’s success. Knowing the threat of Russell, Hardik can hold back his trump card- Rashid Khan for the Jamaican. Whenever these two modern greats faced each other, Rashid got the upper hand. The spin wizard has dismissed Russell thrice in T20 cricket. Russell averages only 11 against Rashid and his strike rate is only 110.