The IPL play-off race heats up as Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans battle it out in Ahmedabad. Earlier in the day, in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad look to strengthen their position on the points table against a resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders, who showed some signs of life in Uppal.
However, the focus will be on the evening game, which will be a real clash of ideologies. If you look at Punjab and Gujarat, the difference is almost like going to a rock band concert and a ghazal session. One is about giving you that adrenaline rush with big hits and the other is about being simple, soothing and at times just plain old school cricket.
The current PBKS can be considered the most attacking batting line-up in IPL history and the numbers back it up. Across four metrics. They lead the all-time charts – boasting a staggering average of 43.1, a strike rate of 186, hitting a boundary every 3.6 balls and clearing the ropes every 7.9 deliveries.
But the gulf between their batting and bowling was exposed during the loss to RR when the Royals chased down 223 with ease. GT, on the other hand, are once again dependent on their trio, who have shown signs of aggression. Their bowling seems to be in top form with the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan and Mohammed Siraj coming into play this season.
A win for GT will spice up the playoff race as they move into the top four. For Punjab, they need two more wins to reach the magical mark of 16 points to secure a place in the playoffs.
Another win will be SRH’s sixth on the trot and will push them closer to making it to the playoffs. Survival is all about KKR and another win will keep them almost alive in the competition for now.
With so much at stake, Sunday promises to be a blast with many expected runs and incredible moments.
HOLDER EXIT, ARSHDEEP FADING?
GT seems to have finally found their balance, something they have been missing since Hardik Pandya’s exit in 2024. They struck gold in their R’s. 7 million purchase of Jason Holder, who is finally making it to the big stage of IPL.
His bowling remains the main calling card, but Holder is one of the best players in the field and is a big hit with the bat. He picked two wickets, three catches and scored a handy 12 runs in the win over RCB in their last game. Arshdeep has been expensive with the ball this season (Courtesy: PTI)
Against PBKS’ big hitters, the variety Holder brings will be key, especially if they start swinging. On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh’s magic seems to be fading.
Often effective with his slower deliveries and yorkers, Arshdeep has conceded 40 or more on six occasions in the eight matches played so far this season. ‘
He went for 68 runs against RR and his growing affinity for conceding extras is starting to haunt PBKS terribly. If Punjab need to clear the final hurdle this season, they will need the bowling group to step up. Which means Arshdeep needs to start being a bit more flamboyant like his social media reels.
WILL KKR FINALLY FILL PATHIRANA?
For KKR fans, seeing Matheeshu Pathiran with the team would feel like a kid looking for that free toy in a cereal box.
The wait was long and painful, but they are worth it in the end. Now it’s all about unleashing him against a Hyderabad side that has found its mojo again.
Pathirana comes after a long layoffbut he is expected to play exactly the role that Jasprit Bumrah plays for MI. Probably a powerhouse or two in the powerhouse, one in the middle or two at the death.
These are the areas where KKR have lacked consistency, something they cannot afford against SRH with the form they are in. Hyderabad mocked a chase of 244 against MI at the Wankhede, with Travis Head finding form and Heinrich Klaasen showing no side effects from international retirement.
But for Pathirana to come in, KKR will have to undergo a massive change in their batting setup at the top or middle. Tim Seifert failed to impress, while Rovman Powell added much-needed steel in the middle and with his placement in the outfield. Will Pathirana’s inclusion upset the balance in KKR’s side? (Courtesy: PTI)
SRH’s bowling has also undergone a massive change with the return of Pat Cummins and the rise of talents like Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge, meaning any change in the batting order will have ramifications for KKR.
SRH have proved to be the most efficient death-overs bowling unit this season, leading the charts with an economy of 8.6 and a success rate of one wicket every 9.6 balls.
Led by accurate yorkers Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge and Eshan Malinga, their attack has been relentlessly accurate – resulting in the best wicket-threatening consistency in the league, with a remarkable 25% of their deliveries hitting the stumps at the death.
This means that the margin for error for KKR’s batting will be minimal and the late rescue act by Rinku Singh in the last two games may not find the desired result.
HYDERABAD AND AHMEDABAD: PITCHING AND CONDITIONS
The ground at Uppal is known as a batting paradise and as it is an afternoon game, there will be no dew. The game will be played on the same surface that hosted the SRH vs RR clash on April 13. Interestingly, all the three completed matches at this ground prior to this season were won by the chasing teams, but SRH rallied in this match and successfully defended an impressive 216 against RR.
Hyderabad is expected to have a hot afternoon with temperatures reaching 39 degrees Celsius.
It is expected to be a high-scoring match in Ahmedabad and will be played on pitch five. The last match hosted at the track was where MI managed to defend 199, thanks to some smart bowling. A similar game plan will be needed on Sunday as the temperature approaches 40 degrees Celsius with 40 percent humidity.
SRH VS KKR AND GT VS PBKS: HEAD TO HEAD
SRH and KKR have met 31 times in the IPL, with Kolkata holding the edge with a scoreline of 20-11. Hyderabad have beaten KKR in their last two matches, including the reverse fixture at Eden Gardens earlier in the season.
GT and PBKS have met seven times in the IPL, with Punjab edging the rivalry 4-3. This includes winning the reverse fixture in Mullanpur where PBKS were able to hold on and eventually win.
SRH VS KKR AND GT VS PBKS: PREDICTED XIS
Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (week), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (captain), Harsh Dubey, Eshan Malinga, Praful Hinge. Shock Submarine: Sakib Hussain
Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Tim Seifert/Finn Allen (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora. impact submarine: Rovman Powell/Matheesha Pathirana.
Gujarat Titans Predicted XI: Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Holder, M Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj.
Punjab Kings Predicted XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge/Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep S. Shock Sub: Yuzvendra Chahal
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Published on:
03 May 2026 09:20 IST
