Indian T20 League 2022: Match 16 – Punjab vs Gujarat – Preview, Playing XIs, Pitch Report & Updates

Punjab are set to take on Gujarat in the 16th match of the Indian T20 League 2022 on Friday at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Punjab returned to winning ways after beating Chennai by 54 runs in their last game on Sunday.

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With that win, they currently find themselves at number four on the points table with 2 wins in 3 matches. On the other hand, Gujarat are yet to lose a match this season. With two wins in as many matches, Hardik Pandya and Co. are sitting third on the table.

Team News:

Punjab

Riding on an outstanding knock from Liam Livingstone and important contributions from Shikhar Dhawan and Jitesh Sharma, Punjab notched a formidable total of 180 runs in their last game against Chennai.

They bowled admirably in the second innings, bundling Chennai out for just 126 runs. The team is likely to bring in Jonny Bairstow.

Players to watch out for:

Liam Livingstone 

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The English hard-hitter showcased his class in the last game against Chennai. Despite wickets falling at one end, Livingstone kept hitting boundaries all around the park and helped the team reach the 100-run mark inside the first 10 overs.

He produced a heart-warming knock of 60 runs in 32 balls, including 5 fours and as many sixes. Whether he would be able to replicate similar performances in the next couple of games remains to be seen.

Rahul Chahar 

Punjab’s leg spinner, Rahul Chahar is consistently picking wickets for the team. He is proving to be a really difficult customer for the opposition batters to deal with. In 3 matches, he has already picked 6 wickets at an average of 10. He will be the one to watch out for in the next game.

Jonny Bairstow 

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Jonny Bairstow is yet to play a match in the ongoing edition. He has completed the mandatory isolation period and is likely to play the next match. His power-hitting skills aren’t a hidden fact. He is currently one of the most destructive batters in the shorter format. It will be interesting to see how he starts his campaign this year.

Probable Playing XIs: 

Mayank Agarwal (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh.

Gujarat: 

Gujarat registered their second consecutive win on Saturday with a 14-run victory over Delhi. Riding on a sensational knock from Shubman Gill, Gujarat notched a formidable score of 171 runs in the first innings of that game.

Lockie Ferguson then put in a sensational bowling effort to restrict Delhi to 157 runs. Heading into the next game, Hardik Pandya would be keen not to disturb their winning combination.

Players to watch out for: 

Shubman Gill

Gill, arguably, played his best knock of the Indian T20 League in the last game against Delhi. He showed intent right from the start of his innings and didn’t spare any bowler. He played a match-winning knock of 84 runs in 46 balls, including 6 fours and 4 sixes. Punjab would be wary of his threat given the kind of knock he played the other night.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is bowling his full quota of overs and is also coming ahead in the batting order. He is, certainly, making use of his full potential. In the last match, he conceded 22 runs for 1 wicket and scored 31 runs with the bat. In both the games, he got starts but couldn’t convert them into big scores. Heading into the next game, one shouldn’t get surprised if he scores a big knock on Friday.

Lockie Ferguson

New Zealand fast bowler, Lockie Ferguson is currently one of the best fast bowlers in the world right now. He has an outstanding record in Indian T20 League. He fared well with the ball in the last season for Kolkata and is doing a tremendous job for Gujarat this year. Ferguson bowled a game-changing spell in the last game and will continue to be one of the biggest threats to the opposition this year.

Probable Playing XIs:

Mathew Wade (WK), Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (C), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Varun Aaron, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami.

Match Details:

Date: 8th April 2022

Venue: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai

Time: 7:30 PM

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

Pitch Report:

The last game played here was between Chennai and Punjab. There is movement in the air with the new ball. Bowlers can put pressure on the opposition during that stage. However, once a batter spends some time at the crease, runs could come pretty easily. Wrist spinners have had a great time so far. Thus far, the likes of Rahul Chahar and Rashid Khan are going to be handy with the ball on the surface.