Gujarat Titans eyeing hat-trick of wins as they take on KKR

Ahmedabad, Apr 08 (PTI):
Defending champions Gujarat Titans would be eyeing a hat-trick of wins, while Kolkata Knight Riders, fresh from their decimation of Royal Challengers Bangalore, would be keen to show the win was not a flash in the pan when the two sides clash in the IPL here on Sunday.
The home advantage apart, Gujarat Titans have the players to achieve the goals, and it has been all too visible in the first two games of the season.
If their opening match against Chennai Super Kings gave an insight into young Shubman Gill’s form with the bat — he scored a 36-ball 63 in the thrilling five-wicket victory –, the tie against Delhi Capitals threw up an unlikely hero in Sai Sudarshan, who clobbered a 48-ball 62 to make a mockery of the rival team’s total.
With two young and in-form batters in the side, and a bowling department overflowing with the experience of pace bowlers Mohammed Shami, skipper Hardik Pandya and the craftiness of Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, KKR could find the going tough in the away match.
KKR, on the other hand, have an interesting puzzle to solve before they take the field against Gujarat Titans.
With Jason Roy being roped in to give the side a boost following injury to regular captain Shreyas Iyer and the pullout of Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, it remains to be seen how KKR fit the England opener after young Afghanistan wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s exploits at the top.
Gurbaz scored a quick 22 against Punjab Kings, which KKR lost by seven runs (DLS method). But the 21-year-old was a revelation against RCB, laying the foundation for a 200-plus total against RCB with a fighting fifty before Shardul Thakur’s pyrotechnics took the team to a massive 204. There is a likelihood that Roy will replace Gurbaz.

Match starts at 3:30 PM.