Efficient Titans run into inconsistent Kings
An upbeat Gujarat Titans will take on a worried Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Thursday.
GT registered a moraleboosting sevenwicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in its previous match and recovered from the thrashing against Chennai Super Kings.
Dispiriting losses
PBKS, which started with a victory over Delhi Capitals, is coming off two dispiriting losses against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants.
The Shubman Gillled home side has been meticulous and efficient without being spectacular. B. Sai Sudharsan has held the batting together, especially at the Modi Stadium where the pitches haven’t necessarily been featherbeds.
The return to form of David Miller also augurs well as GT looks for a third straight home win.
Among bowlers, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, R. Sai Kishore and Noor Ahmad have impressed. But the jury is still out on whether Umesh Yadav is an adequateenough replacement for Mohammed Shami.
PBKS, on the other hand, desperately needs a victory. It could have had one if it had not frittered away the chance from a commanding position against LSG. Chasing 200, PBKS was 102 for no loss before being blinded by Mayank Yadav’s searing pace.
Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran have been among the runs, but haven’t fired collectively. Livingstone suffered a hamstring injury against LSG and his fitness will be assessed on match day.
Mediumpacer Harshal Patel has bled 137 runs from 12 overs while tweaker Rahul Chahar has blown hot and cold. Will the inform Karnataka pacer Vidwath Kaverappa make his IPL bow or seasoned allrounder Rishi Dhawan be trusted?
Mohit says he learnt quite a few lessons during the IPL last year.
From 2019 to 2021, Mohit Sharma played a grand total of two IPL games. In 2022, he travelled as a net bowler for Gujarat Titans.
For someone who held the Purple Cap in 2014 for Chennai Super Kings (23 wickets) and played two World Cups for India (2014 T20I & 2015 ODI), it would have been a tough experience.
But he showed his true worth last season when he claimed 27 wickets as GT nearly defended the IPL title it won in its inaugural year in 2022. And the 35yearold has carried that form into this season — six wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 7.75.
Ahead of the game against PBKS, Mohit credited the atmosphere at GT for helping him stay motivated. “It depends on how
your fellow players see you after a bad performance,” Mohit said. “That decides whether you feel good or bad. In this team, over the last three years, if you have a bad performance, we don’t talk about it. The rectification happens on the ground, not in the dressing room. That maintains confidence levels.”
In that nervewracking 2023 final against CSK, Mohit almost defended 13 before conceding a six and a four off the last two balls. It left him heartbroken but there were learnings too.
“Not just that last over, I learnt a lot throughout the IPL last year,” he said. “If you talk about just those two deliveries, I can say this — when you are under pressure, your subconscious mind dominates. That shouldn’t happen and you have to follow your instinct. I learnt that aspect from those two balls.”