Indian T20 League 2022: Match 29 – Gujarat vs Chennai – Preview, Playing XIs, Pitch Report, Updates

The 29^th match of the Indian T20 League is slated to be played between Gujarat and Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Sunday. Gujarat have been nothing short of sensational so far in their debut season. With 4 wins in 5 matches, Hardik Pandya and Co. are currently sitting at number one position on the points table.

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Chennai, on the other hand, registered their first win in their last game after four consecutive losses. Ravindra Jadeja and Co. beat Bangalore by 23 runs in their last match and they would be looking to continue the winning momentum.

Team News:

Gujarat

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Gujarat is playing exceedingly well in their debut season and Hardik Pandya has led from the front. Hardik Pandya and Co. are comfortably sitting at the top of the points table. In 5 matches, they have managed to secure 4 wins and would look to add one more on Sunday.

Riding on a sensational knock from Hardik Pandya, Gujarat notched a huge score of 192 runs in their last game against Rajasthan. Later, they restricted Rajasthan to just 155 in the second innings, thereby winning the game by 37 runs.

Players to watch out for:

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1. Hardik Pandya

The added pressure of captaincy has worked wonders for Hardik Pandya. He has been brilliant with the bat. The Gujarat skipper is looking to anchor the innings and trying to play right till the end. He played an unbeaten knock of 87 runs in 52 balls in the last game and also bowled 2.3 overs with the bat. Unarguably, he will have the biggest role to play for Gujarat on Sunday.

2. Lockie Ferguson

Lockie Ferguson is the wrecker-in-chief for Gujarat this season. He has provided the team with vital breakthroughs. In 5 matches, the New Zealand fast bowlerscurrently has 8 wickets at an average of 19. Ferguson returned with exceptional figures of 3 for 23 in the last game.

3. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill started strongly with the bat but he endured bad outings in his last two games. To win on Sunday, Gujarat ought to get a strong start in the power play and Gill needs to come good with the bat. It will be interesting to see how he fares with the bat.

Probable Playing XI:

Matthew Wade (wk), Shubman Gil, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal

Chennai:

After losing four consecutive matches, Chennai finally registered a win in their last game against Bangalore. Once again, they made a poor start with the bat, however, a couple of outstanding knocks from Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa helped them notch a mammoth score of 216 runs in the first innings. They won the game by 23 runs and would be looking to continue the winning momentum.

Players to watch out for:

1. Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube is the man to watch out for on Sunday. He has been in blistering form with the bat. Dube showed his power-hitting ability in the last match against Bangalore. He scored 96 runs in just 46 balls, a knock which was laced with 5 fours and 8 sixes. Chennai might promote him to bat at number three in the next game.

2. Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa too has been in great touch with the bat. He notched his second half-century of the tournament in the last game against Bangalore. Uthappa made 88 runs in just 50 balls and would be looking to replicate a similar knock on Sunday.

3. Maheesh Theekshana

The Sri Lankan spinner spun a web around the opposition batters in the last match against Bangalore. He picked as many as four wickets for 33 runs in 4 overs. He will pose a big threat to Gujarat on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how they play against the mystery spinner.

Probable Playing XI:

Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary

Match Details:

Date: 17th April 2022

Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Time: 7:30 PM

Streaming Details: Star Sports Network for TV, Disney+ Hotstar for online streaming

Pitch Report:

The pitch had at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has help for both batsmen as well as bowlers. Batsmen should take some time at the crease before changing gears. Given the slowness of the surface, you don’t expect to be a high-scoring contest. Spinners are likely to have good assistance from the surface.