RR vs GT Highlights IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya, Lockie Ferguson star as Gujarat Titans thrash Rajasthan to go top of table

Rahul Tewatia seems to be loving his role as the finisher but he will be tested against a formidable bowling unit comprising Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna. Hardik Pandya produced a fifty in the previous game and the skipper will look to do an encore. Both Tewatia and Hardik can clear the ropes with absolute ease.

Rajasthan Royals have had an excellent auction where they snapped up some match-winners. Former England international Graeme Swann also believes that the team looks five times better than it was in the previous season.

"They look five times better than they were last year. They've done very well at the auctions," said Swann on Star Sports.

Sanju Samson and Ashwin are also within touching distance of milestones. The Royals skipper needs 60 more runs to complete 4000 T20 runs while Ashwin is four plucks away from 150 IPL wickets.

Rashid Khan is just one wicket away from entering the 100-wicket IPL club. He could also become the fastest spinner in the history of IPL to take 100 wickets. Amit Mishra currently holds the record, having reached the triple-digit mark in 83 matches.

Jayant Yadav could also get into the eleven if the Titans decide to add a fifth bowler. The Indian has got an economy rate of 6.87 in IPL since 2015, which is second best after his teammate Rashid Khan.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has played six T20Is in Indian and has scored 199 runs in 6 innings at strike rate of 145.25. Can we see two Afghan players playing tonight? Rashid will have the company of his fellow countryman.

In eight games played at the DY Patil Stadium so far in the season, 400-plus runs have been scored on two occasions. Chennai Super Kings notched up 216/4 in 20 overs in the previous game played at the venue. A high-scoring battle on the cards?

While the Titans have a well-equipped bowling attack, they are short of a specialist batter at the top. Matthew Wade's dwindling form could force the newbies to alter their batting combination. Rahmanullah Gurbaz or Wriddhiman Saha could earn debut tonight.

The competition has unearthed many promising stars and we saw Kuldeep Sen perform tremendously under pressure on his debut. He defended 15 runs off the last over against Lucknow Super Giants.

Prasidh Krishna has also shown glimpses of his potential. The Indian has given a good account of himself in the past year. He troubled the West Indies with his disconcerting pace and bounce while also doing well for his previous IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. He has taken four wickets so far for Rajasthan.

Yuzvendra Chahal-Ashwin pair will be pulling strings with the spin and Trent Boult will operate with the new ball. In the previous game against Lucknow Super Giants, he bowled a fiery opening spell to get rid of skipper KL Rahul and Krishnappa Gowtham in the very first over.

Ashwin linked his decision to leave the field with football tactics and said this move might happen a lot moving forward.

"T20, as a sport, is heading towards where football has reached. Just like how they're using substitutions, I did something similar (retiring out). Already we're late, but I believe this will happen a lot in the coming days," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

Yuzvendra Chahal will also get support from senior tweaker Ashwin, who has operated at an economy of 6.87. Ashwin recently made headlines after he retired out himself against Lucknow Super Giants. He scored 28 off 23 before retiring himself out and making way for young Riyan Parag.

Ashwin was also the first in the IPL to effect a run out of a non-striker backing up when he controversially dislodged the bails to dismiss Jos Buttler in 2019.

While Rashid Khan remains the Titans' most economical option, Yuzvendra Chahal has been phenomenal for his new franchise. The Indian is the leading wicket-taker in the league at the moment with 11 scalps at an economy of 6.50.

Sanju Samson (captain/wicketkeeper), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Riyan Parag, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Devdutt Padikkal, Navdeep Saini, Karun Nair, Rassie van der Dussen, James Neesham, Anunay Singh, Daryl Mitchell, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Garhwal, Kuldip Yadav, Kuldeep Sen, Obed McCoy, Tejas Baroka, KC Cariappa.

Sai Sudharsan has provided stability to their batting unit but Matthew Wade's form remains a concern for the Gujarat Titans. The Australian has struggled to get runs while David Miller is also yet to fire, leaving newbies Abhinav Manohar and Sudharsan with more responsibility.

The Titans have failed to take wickets during the middle overs with Rashid Khan being the lone enforcer. The Afghanistan star will seek support from other bowlers and it remains to be seen whether the Titans alter their bowling unit tonight.

While Rajasthan have got arguably the most balanced side this season, Gujarat boast a strong bowling unit comprising the likes of Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson and Rashid Khan. The quicks will team up with skipper Hardik Pandya, who has also been bowling his four overs so far.

The spotlight will be on Rashid Khan, who is economical and a wicket-taking bowler as well. He put the opposition under pressure during the middle overs where the Titans have faltered this season.

Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh, B Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (Captain), Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Matthew Wade, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Wriddhiman Saha, Alzarri Joseph, Darshan Nalkande, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, Pradeep Sangwan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Varun Aaron, Yash Dayal.

Gujarat Titans have had a great start without any early-season jitters. They defeated fellow newcomers Lucknow Super Giants in the opener, and then defeat Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to register a hat-trick of wins. A defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad halted their dream run but the Titans will look to recover from the drubbing and carry on their winning momentum.

Newbies Gujarat Titans suffered their first defeat of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad. It will be interesting to see how they regroup against Rajasthan, who have one of the most lethal batting attacks this year. Gujarat bowlers will be up against an in-form Jos Buttler, the big-hitting Shimron Hetmyer and the dangerous Sanju Samson.

Rajasthan Royals perched on top of the points table owing to a superior net run rate, while Gujarat Titans are placed fifth after a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

We are likely to see two well-oiled teams take on each other in a top-of-the-table clash. Both camps have many match-winners and a potent bowling line-up.