Contrary to the excitement of the last week of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL’s) first stage where the qualification scenario keeps altering with each outcome, many would feel Monday night will hardly matter in the eventual outcome.
However, both Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders will know that there is a lot riding on the result at the Narendra Modi Stadium for their team in the final standings. The Titans will again find themselves in a must-win situation to keep its hopes of a miraculous entry into the Playoffs for the third time in as many seasons.
The Knight Riders, meanwhile, needs a win in its remaining two games to ensure a top-two finish and enjoy the advantage of an additional opportunity to enter the final. Shreyas Iyer’s in-form army will be hoping to seal it with a game to spare, that too against a team that has struggled to find the combination right through the season.
Having used 23 players – the most so far by a team this season- the Titans have struggled to get going. But its captain Shubman Gill, a former Knight Riders himself, will be hoping to continue from his hundred in the last outing with another strong performance while leading against his former team.
If Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan continue their heroics at the top, the Titans will be hoping for Rashid Khan to deliver the knockout punch against table-toppers.
The Knight Riders will be tempted to pair Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a former Titan himself, at the top with Sunil Narine in place of England’s Phil Salt, who is set to join his national squad after the league stage.
