Two of the most consistent teams in the IPL since 2022, Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), will clash in Jaipur on Wednesday, April 11. The clash promises to be one of the most exciting of the tournament.
Both teams have had different fortunes in IPL 2024, with Rajasthan being the only unbeaten side in the tournament so far and GT suffering three defeats in five matches.
Speaking of form, RR look complete, with each of their chips firing so far. With Jos Buttler's return to form, the newly settled middle order of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, and a strong bowling line-up taming the opposition, the cricket in the RR camp looks as solid as it can be at the moment.
Gujarat Titans, who have been plagued by inconsistency since winning the 2022 title, have not. Their batting revolves around skipper Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, and their middle order looks fragile in David Miller's absence.
Rest assured, however, that this RR-GT encounter will be a dull affair with little to show for it. It was GT who crushed the dreams of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2022 final, and the Jaipur-based franchise won't want to let go of their winning momentum.
Both teams also have enough firepower in their respective batting line-ups to produce another high-scoring thriller like the previous RR-GT encounters.
With that said, here are some of the best shots played in RR-GT matches since IPL 2022.
Shimron Hetmeyer, 56*(26), Ahmedabad, IPL 2023
It was always going to be an uphill task for RR to chase down 178 against a quality bowling attack from Gujarat Titans. The difficulty increased exponentially when Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan demolished Rajasthan's top order, reducing them to 55/4 in the 11th over.
Not only did the RR batsmen have to keep chasing to avoid falling too far behind the required run rate, they also had to ensure they didn't lose too many wickets.
RR skipper Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmeyer were at the forefront of the counter-attack, playing their shots all over the park.
When it looked like RR would chase down the target, the GT bowlers struck back, dismissing both Samson and the dangerous Dhruv Jurel in quick succession.
But the drama wasn't over. Hetmeyer continued to attack from one end and took his side home, scoring 56* off just 26 balls.
IPL 2023, Ahmedabad, Sanju Samson, 60 (32)
In the same innings, Sanju Samson was in top form when RR were struggling to chase a GT total of 177, let alone win from 55/4 in the 11th over.
Samson kept up the tempo of the chase by taking on Rashid Khan and smoking three consecutive sixes.
Both Hetmeyer and Samson were targeting their bowlers and batting to the situation, with the latter going berserk. The spinners finished with 60 runs off just 32 balls.
David Miller, 68* (38), Qualifier-1, IPL 2022, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
In a clash between two heavyweights in Qualifier-1 of the IPL 2022, the RR-GT clash proved to be a high-scoring thriller, with GT emerging victorious thanks to some belligerent batting from their middle order.
Chasing a challenging 189-run target in a knockout, GT got off to the worst possible start with Wriddhiman Saha out for a 2-ball duck. But Shubman Gill and Matthew Wade kept the chase alive with a balanced, calculated and aggressive approach.
But at 85/3 in the 10th over, it took some herculean batting efforts from the experienced duo of skipper Hardik Pandya and David Miller.
Miller took on the role of the aggressor, hitting all the bowlers, with a particular fondness for the pacers, to complete a 35-ball half-century.
GT needed 16 from the last over, which Miller did in the first three balls, smashing Prasidh Krishna for three sixes.
No list of RR-GT batting performances would be complete without Jos Buttler.
In the IPL 2022 Qualifier-1 against GT, Buttler continued his dominance and showcased his prowess with the bat. The early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal meant Buttler had to anchor the innings and bat till the end to post a competitive total.
After reaching his half-century off 42 balls, he decided to play his shots and raced from 50 (42) to 89 (56), scoring 39 runs off just 16 balls to take RR's total to 188/6. However, the Royals lost by seven wickets.
Hardik Pandya, 87* (52), IPL 2022, D.Y. Patil Stadium, Mumbai
It was the first glimpse of captain Hardik Pandya making his mark as a batsman in the IPL as he smashed a memorable 87* off just 52 balls to bowl out RR in a rather one-sided encounter.
With GT struggling at 53/3 in the seventh over, Pandya opted to bide his time in the middle, playing deep with Abhinav Manohar, who continued to play his shots.
With David Miller coming to the crease in the 16th over, Pandya also shifted gears, hitting eight fours and four sixes to take GT to a mammoth 192/4. GT won by 37 runs.
Jos Buttler, 89 (56), Qualifier-1, IPL 2022, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
No list of RR-GT batting performances would be complete without Jos Buttler.
In the IPL 2022 Qualifier-1 against GT, Buttler continued his dominance and showcased his prowess with the bat. The early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal meant Buttler had to anchor the innings and bat till the end to post a competitive total.
After reaching his half-century off 42 balls, he decided to play his shots and raced from 50 (42) to 89 (56), scoring 39 runs off just 16 balls to take RR's total to 188/6. However, the Royals lost by seven wickets.