Big picture: New-age PBKS vs old-school GT
Punjab Kings (PBKS) were invincible till they weren't. Now they face Gujarat Titans (GT), who have begun their ascent to a promising season. PBKS win their games with new-age hitting at the top, Shreyas Iyer leading the middle order in sixth-gear, and a plethora of all-round bowling options. On the other hand, GT are old-fashioned. They depend on their top order scoring a bulk of their runs. Then their fast bowlers, Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, pave the way with early wickets.
In their previous game, PBKS failed to defend 222 against Rajasthan Royals. Arshdeep Singh's figures (1 for 68), in particular, revealed the wide gulf between their batting merit and their bowling woes. On the other hand, GT showcased their bowling depth against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. While Rabada and Siraj went for runs, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan and Jason Holder picked up seven wickets between them. Then in the chase, Rahul Tewatia walked out bereft of runs and batting time this season, like the rest of GT's middle order. He finished off the game with a nerveless 27 not out off 17 balls.
Momentum is a fickle comfort in an IPL season. Still, GT know their back-to-back wins hold them in good stead. If they win big against PBKS, they could breach the top four on the points table. Meanwhile, PBKS need just two more wins from six remaining games to cross the 16-point mark, often good enough for a playoff spot.
Two distinct T20 philosophies will clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening. The two points up for grabs will matter more than how either team gets them.
Form guide
Gujarat Titans WWLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Punjab Kings LWWWW
Key question
Team news: Will Shashank Singh be back?
Jason Holder has brought much-needed balance to a top-loaded GT side: he picked up 2 for 29, took three catches, and hit a handy 12 in their chase against RCB. GT went in unchanged for that game, and might stick to the same combination in home conditions.
Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Jason Holder, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Manav Suthar, 12 Mohammed Siraj
Abhinav Mukund and Piyush Chawla on the pacer's lack of impact
Shashank Singh was unavailable for the previous game. If he is ready again, he will slot right back in place of Suryansh Shedge.
Punjab Kings (probable): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Cooper Connolly, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Suryansh Shedge/Shashank Singh, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Harpreet Brar, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal
Pitch and conditions
Sunday's clash will take place on pitch number five at Ahmedabad. It is expected to host a high-scoring game. Only one IPL match has been played on the surface this year, when Mumbai Indians bashed their way to 199 for 5 in the first innings. However, it is worth noting that Ashwani Kumar's good-length balls helped bowl out GT for 100 during the chase. A similar plan might be the key for bowlers once more. Sunday will also be a scorcher of a day, with a high of 40°C and 40% humidity. Temperatures will drop down to the 30s by evening.
In the spotlight: Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh
Washington Sundar has been handed a tricky role in the GT line-up, and so far, he hasn't been the most productive in it. He has floated around the middle order, slotting in as high as No. 4 when GT need an anchoring hand. However, with 169 runs in nine games - at an average of 28.16 and a strike rate of 143.22 - he has neither scored a bucketload of runs nor scored quickly enough. Add to that just the 31 deliveries he's bowled in the tournament, and he isn't being utilised as an all-rounder either.
Abhinav Mukund on the lack of runs from GT's middle order
Arshdeep Singh is the headliner in this PBKS bowling attack: his slower ones and on-pace yorkers have always made a lethal combination. This season, some of that magic has been fading. Across eight games this season, he has conceded 40 or more runs in his spell six times. His loss of control - and affinity for extras at the death - has given away free runs that PBKS can ill afford. He needs to be back at his best if PBKS are to solve their bowling issues.
Stats and trivia
This PBKS team is the most attacking batting line-up in IPL history. Across four metrics - overall batting average (43.1), strike rate (186), balls per boundary (3.6) and balls per six (7.9) - they top the all-time charts.
In the last six games, Siraj has taken seven wickets at an economy of 6.7 and a strike rate of 19.7. Compare this to his numbers from his 14 IPL games before that - 10.2 and 34 - and you see a bowler who is in much more control of his plans and execution, especially with the new ball.
In the last two years of the IPL and the recent World Cup, pitch no. 5 in Ahmedabad has favoured fast bowlers. While their economy rate (9.17) is similar to that of spinners (9.45), they have a much better bowling average, 17.8, than spinners' 28.9.
