The Punjab Kings have only managed one win in their first five matches of the IPL 2024 season. They suffered three consecutive defeats against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai Indians. Their latest attempt to clinch their first IPL title didn’t start off very well. Shershanck Singh and Ashutosh Sharma are the top scorers for Punjab in this season’s IPL. Both are averaging over 50 runs, but they lack support from other Kings players, especially the overseas recruits. This is a signal for Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, and others to step up. Curran, Kagiso Rabada, and Harshal Patel excel with the ball. They have each taken 10 wickets this year. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh has gathered nine wickets. The four bowlers have had success but also effectively highlighted the absence of reliable spinners in Punjab.
The Gujarat Titans have had a stop-start campaign in the IPL 2024 season so far. With three losses in five matches, the former champions are struggling at the bottom of the table among the 10 teams. However, a victory against Punjab could put them back on track for the remainder of the challenging season. The Titans can rely on Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan for standout performances with the bat. Gill, as the captain, naturally aims to lead by example at the top of the order. He recently scored 89 runs, albeit not against Punjab, and may draw inspiration from this match against the same opponent. Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Rashid Khan are the standout players for the Titans in this IPL season. Sharma has taken eight wickets and has been effective as a strike bowler. Khan continues to showcase himself as one of the best players in world cricket and demonstrates good batting skills.
