For match 16 of IPL 2022, two in-form teams, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans, will clash on Friday evening at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Both the teams have four points each; Gujarat have won both their games so far and are the only unbeaten side in the tournament yet while Punjab have won two in three.
After hauling down 206 against RCB in their game and then going down to KKR, Punjab made a statement-making victory against defending champions Chennai Super Kings, defeating Ravindra Jadeja’s side by 54 runs.
Hardik Pandya’s team has had a good start to their IPL journey, defeating LSG by 5 wickets before registering a close 14-run win over Delhi Capitals. Their bowling attack has been a standout in both matches.
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
The PBKS-CSK high-scoring game was played at this venue. While the short boundaries are helpful for batters, there’s plenty of assistance for pacers with the new ball and for the slower variations with the old ball.
IPL 2022: PBKS news and predicted XI
Jonny Bairstow, who carried drinks in Punjab’s last game after just coming out of quarantine, is set to come in the eleven. He is likely to replace Bhanuka Rajapaksa – that would be harsh on the Sri Lankan given his exploits in the first two matches, but with Liam Livingstone putting on a match-winning all-round show and Odean Smith providing all-rounder facilities, Rajapaksa seems the likeliest to make way for Bairstow.
PBKS predicted XI: Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Odean Smith, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora
IPL 2022: GT news and predicted XI
Varun Aaron had fitness issues in the previous game against DC and hence could be left out against PBKS. Off-spinner Jayant Yadav could come in for Aaron, chiefly because of his match-up against Dhawan. Young Tamil Nadu spinner Sai Kishore could be in contention for an IPL debut.
GT predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Jayant Yadav, Mohammed Shami
