Ahmedabad, May 1: Gujarat Titans return to their fortress at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Friday with redemption on their mind after being blown away by Rajasthan Royals' teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The 14-year-old prodigy’s record-shattering 35-ball century left GT slumping to an eight-wicket defeat despite posting a mammoth 209 on the board. But with the business end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 approaching, the Titans remain on course for a playoff spot and will now aim to consolidate their position against an under-pressure Sunrisers Hyderabad outfit.

Despite the recent hammering, Shubman Gill’s men have little reason to panic. With six wins in nine games, GT sit comfortably in the top four with 12 points and need just two more victories from their remaining five matches to virtually seal a place in the playoffs. Their campaign has been built on stability and depth, with both the batting and bowling departments delivering consistently.

The top order has been particularly impressive. Sai Sudharsan, the current Orange Cap holder, has anchored the batting unit with remarkable consistency, amassing 456 runs with five half-centuries. He’s ably supported by captain Gill (389 runs) and Jos Buttler (406 runs), both of whom are among the league’s top scorers. Even though Suryavanshi’s fireworks briefly overshadowed them, the trio remains one of the most feared in the tournament.

On the bowling front, Prasidh Krishna has emerged as the leader of the pace pack, while Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma have chipped in effectively. Rashid Khan’s return to rhythm, especially his tidy 2-25 against Kolkata Knight Riders, bodes well for the side. Washington Sundar has provided quiet but crucial support with his economical spells in the middle overs.

GT will also take heart from their earlier clash against Sunrisers this season — a dominant seven-wicket win in Hyderabad, set up by Siraj’s fiery 4-17 spell. Replicating that performance could virtually end SRH’s dwindling playoff hopes.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad, every match from here is a do-or-die scenario. With only three wins from nine outings, last year’s finalists have dropped to ninth on the table and are teetering on the edge of elimination. A defeat on Friday would almost certainly end their campaign.

SRH’s trademark aggressive style of batting has been missing this season, especially at the top. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, the team’s explosive openers, have faltered in recent outings. Head has just one fifty in his last eight innings, while Abhishek has failed to reach double digits in the last two games — a massive dip in form for the pair that was expected to lay the foundation for big totals.

The middle order hasn't offered much relief either. Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ishan Kishan have all struggled to find fluency, leaving a heavy burden on young Aniket Verma.

The 23-year-old Madhya Pradesh batter has surprisingly outperformed the big names in terms of six-hitting this season and could play a key role in any SRH fightback.

In the bowling department, Harshal Patel has been a lone bright spot, with his crafty variations troubling batters even on flat decks. But Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami — the seasoned campaigners — are yet to hit their stride. Their inability to deliver consistent breakthroughs has hurt SRH in crunch situations.

Squads:

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (Capt), Jos Buttler (wk), B Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar and Karim Janat.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (capt), Ishan Kishan (wk), Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Sachin Baby, Smaran Ravichandran, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.

(IANS)

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