SRH vs GT Highlights, IPL 2022: Williamson's ice-cool 57 helps Sunrisers Hyderabad halt Gujarat Titans' dream run

Before the start of the IPL 2022, there was a lot of speculation about captain Hardik's fitness. He has made a strong return and many believe he walks straight into the T20 World Cup squad. He's bowled his four overs in all three matches so far.

Mohammed Shami has dismissed Kane Williamson three times in the IPL. The Sunrisers Hyderabad captain averages just 9.67 against Shami. An exciting powerplay battle on the cards!

Hardik need to showcase his tactical acumen against Hyderabad tonight! He has earned praise from former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who heaped praise on his ability to captain a team.

"Right before this IPL, the question that was asked about a lot of young captains - the word was KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant. Add Hardik Pandya. Don't take your eye off the ball there guys. This guy can lead a side," Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo.

Shubman Gill has scored 180 runs in three innings at an impressive average of 60 and a strike rate of 166.66, and Titans skipper Hardik Pandya was all praise for the talented batter.

"Gill has been telling everybody that he is there. A lot of credit goes to Sai as well," said Hardik after a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings.

Lockie Ferguson will be playing his 100th T20 game tonight! The quick has taken five wickets so far in the ongoing competition and he will look to make the occasion memorable. He has got the company of Mohammed Shami, who remains a vital cog in Gujarat's wheel. The Indian has picked up six wickets in three games.

Will the Titans play another Afghanistan player tonight? Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 551 runs in 25 T20s since 2021. He has got the ability to steer the team to a good start in first six overs. The wicketkeeper-batter can be a useful addition if he replaces Matthew Wade in the eleven.

Gujarat Titans in last three IPL games:

vs PBKS: Won by 6 wickets

vs DC: Won by 14 runs

vs LSG: Won by 5 wickets

Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last five IPL games:

vs CSK: Won by eight wickets

vs LSG: Lost by 12 runs

vs RR: Lost by 61 runs

vs MI: Lost by 42 runs

vs RCB: Won by 4 runs

We haven't seen his best so far but Abdul Samad has been backed by many pundits. He was among the retained players and the Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to repay the faith shown in him by the franchise. He has scored 4 and 0 in his two outings so far in the season.

The winning captain would want to chase as toss has proved crucial so far in the tournament. The dew is also expected to play its role tonight. 

Titans' player Alzarri Joseph had a fairytale start to the IPL. The Antiguan on debut in Mumbai Indians jersey had registered the best ever IPL figures of 6/12. Incidentally, it was against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were bundled out for 96 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. He could also play his first game for the Gujarat outfit tonight.

Gujarat had handed debuts to Sai Sudharsan and Darshan Nalkande and both showed spark in the previous game. Sudharshan teamed up with Gill to keep the scoreboard ticking. He scored 35 off 30 balls. Nalkande took two wickets for 37 runs in his three overs. He removed Jitesh Sharma and Odean Smith off consecutive deliveries.

"Bowling to someone like Kane is always a huge pleasure. We enjoyed the competition in the nets where we both tried to beat each other. It's a lovely contest and Kane will love to see that," says Rashid on facing his former teammate.

Who can take out Rahul Tewatia from the equation! Needing 12 runs in two balls, Tewatia smashed the last two balls of the innings in the stands, helping Gujarat secure a thriller on Friday. He fetched a ₹9 crore paycheque in the February auction and the magical knock proved that he is worth every single penny.

Hardik Pandya has been impressive in his new IPL spell. He's shown his captaincy prowess and secured the No. 4 batting spot. In a big boost to the Titans' bowling plans, Hardik has also bowled a full quota of four overs in all three of the team's matches.

"I am going to get better with every game. I am getting tired as I'm not used to bowling four overs. But I'm getting better," said Hardik after the win over Punjab.

Shubman Gill will need support from his opening partner Matthew Wade, who has not been able to score a big inning so far. The Titans could also try out Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan or Wriddhiman Saha at the top.

The spotlight will be on Shubman Gill, who has been in brilliant touch. A shin injury kept him away from the game but the youngster seems in brilliant touch with his new IPL franchise. He has scored 180 runs in the last two matches.

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

To put some early pressure on the formidable batting unit of Gujarat, Sunrisers have Washington Sundar, who can keep the opposition in check with his disciplined bowling. Washington has picked up four wickets in his last two games. He can bowl in the powerplay as well.

If Hyderabad tinker with their combination, we can also see Kartik Tyagi making his debut! He will likely replace Umran Malik in the eleven.

On the bowling front, Hyderabad are equipped with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan. They also have the raw pace of Umran Malik, who will enjoy the speed battle against Lockie Ferguson tonight. Both have the ability to clock 150 kph on a consistent basis. Expect some thunderbolts!

The spotlight will also be on Nicholas Pooran, who is yet to deliver to his full potential. Pooran, who is known for his attacking prowess, was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹10.75 crore in the February auction. He can tonk those big sixes when needed!

Kane Williamson (c), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Shashank Singh, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, Shreyas Gopal, Jagadeesha Suchith, Ravikumar Samarth, Glenn Phillips, Vishnu Vinod, Priyam Garg, Kartik Tyagi, Romario Shepherd, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Samad, Saurabh Dubey

While Williamson and Abhishek steered Hyderabad to a steady start, Rahul Tripathi also notched up an unbeaten 39 off only 15 balls against a star-studded Chennai side. He has been a reliable alternative at the No. 3 spot and Tripathi will look to an encore.

Tripathi was instrumental for his previous franchise, scoring at a healthy strike rate of 141.96, which is the best at the No. 3 batting spot. He can maximize the powerplay against Gujarat.