Indian T20 League- Match 16- Punjab vs Gujarat- Match Preview

The unbeaten team in the Indian T20 League 2022, Gujarat, will take on Punjab in the 16th match of the tournament. The Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai will host the game on the 8th of April. Both teams have had a similar start to this season as many of their players have contributed to the team's wins. This match will be interesting to see because both teams have similar playing styles at this moment. They have played sensible cricket and have been able to get the best results from it. Before the match starts, here is the preview and all the details you need to know.

Team Updates

Punjab

Punjab Kings have been outstanding in the three matches that they have played so far. They won their encounters against Bangalore and Chennai and only lost to Kolkata. Their batting department in particular has been good as they have a solid top-order. Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Liam Livingstone have all performed with the bat, but captain Mayank Agarwal is yet to perform. Agarwal, as a batter, is very important for the team. He can play an attacking game at the top, which releases the pressure for the batters to follow. He would want to turn his figures this season around and score big against Gujarat.

Jonny Bairstow, their key overseas player, hasn't gotten a chance to make his debut for the team. He might get a chance to play for them in this match, but Punjab will have to make some adjustments for it. He is a player who can stay solid at the crease and also score quickly when needed. Punjab will have to find the right balance to fit him into the team.

Players to watch out for

Liam Livingstone- Liam Livingstone has looked like a different player this season. He has come out to bat with positive intent and has scored runs sensibly. He has only taken calculative risks, which is reaping him the rewards this season. In addition, he has been handy with the ball, too.

Vaibhav Arora- Vaibhav Arora made his debut in the tournament during the last match, and he straightaway had an impact. He bowled tight lengths and got rid of Chennai's top-order batters. His bowling turned out to be very important for the team. The 24-year old can continue the same in the next game.

Probable Playing XI

Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora

Gujarat

The latest team in the Indian T20 League has been a great addition to the tournament, and they have had the perfect start. This will be their third game of the season. So far, they have had two wins to their name already. They first beat Lucknow by five wickets and then claimed a 14-run win over Delhi. Captain Hardik Pandya has been outstanding with his decisions in his first captaincy stint, and he will only get better from here on. The senior members of the team have given him great support to make the right decisions. Mohammad Shami, for example, has helped him a lot with the bowling changes.

They do not have the ideal playing combination available at their disposal, but they have made the most of what they have. They have looked strong in all departments, especially their fast bowling. Lockie Ferguson and Mohammad Shami have given great results already, as they have four and five wickets respectively this season.

Players to watch out for

Shubman Gill- Shubman Gill did not have the best first match this season, but he came back with a stellar performance in the next match. He scored 84 runs in 46 balls to get Gujarat in a great position. He would like to continue his form in the next game as well.

Mohammad Shami- Mohammad Shami is Gujarat's most experienced player, and he has given his best so far. He has taken good advantage of the playing conditions and has managed to get good swing early on due to the grass coverage. With this advantage, he can take wickets early on in the innings.

Probable Playing XI

Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Aaron, Mohammed Shami

Pitch Report

The wicket at the Brabourne Stadium has been good for the batters this season. They have had some good chances to score at a good pace. Having said that, the fast bowlers also have gotten some good bounce and swing. The team winning the toss would want to bowl first in these conditions.

Match Details

Date- 8th April 2022

Time- 7:30 p.m (IST)

Venue- Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Broadcast- Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar