Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Average score at venue (1st inns): 178
Win percentage while batting first: 60%
Pitch conditions:
- The pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune is expected to support all parties involved with mixed results being produced here so far in the Indian T20 Cricket League 2022.
- Out of the 5 matches played here so far, teams that have batted first have recorded wins in 3 matches whereas the rest of the two games have been won by team batting second. The scores have also been neither too high nor too low.
- With 78.18% of the wickets coming in their favour, the fast bowlers are expected to continue to dominate here with the spinners getting the remaining 21.82%.
Weather prediction:
It will be a typical hot and bright day in Pune with temperature hitting a high of 38°C during the afternoon, with the mercury dropping down below 30°C during the match hours on Sunday night. The humidity levels will increase sharply from a little above 25% at the start of the match to reach close to 55% by the end of the game.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD (overall):
Matches played: -
Gujarat won: -
Chennai won: -
No result: -
Top 3 players from Gujarat: Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Abhinav Manohar
Top 3 players from Chennai: Robin Uthappa, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali
Top picks for H2H/WTA contest (top 5 players each):
Top 5 players from Gujarat: Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Yash Dayal
Top 5 players from Chennai: Robin Uthappa, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja
Q & A:
Fantasy tips and tricks: Should I pick more bowlers, batsmen or all-rounders?
It is a contest which will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune — a venue that has produced mixed results so far and has not shown inclination towards any style, that is batting or bowling. While the venue is yet to witness a team — irrespective of batting first or second — being restricted to a low score, it has largely produced pitches that have had something for everyone. Both Gujarat and Chennai would be looking forward to compete on a balanced pitch for their first ever-match. A long batting lineup with penetrative bowling attack should be the right mix for fantasy cricket playing XI.
Fantasy tips: From which team should I pick more players in my XI? Which team is stronger?
If Chennai were playing up to their potential, it may just have been them sitting at the top of the pile in the top points table for the Indian T20 Cricket League 2022 season. However, it is Gujarat, one of the two new teams in this tournament who are occupying the top spot at this moment and Chennai are languishing at the second last spot, following 4 straight defeats in this edition. While Chennai were able to get over the finish line in their previous match against Bangalore, Gujarat defeated Rajasthan by a huge margin of 37 runs with their captain Hardik Pandya leading from the front. For this clash, Gujarat are indeed looking stronger side on paper and should have more players featuring in the playing XI for fantasy cricket.
MORE INFORMATION: Even though Chennai were able to record their first victory in the previous match they played against Bangalore, they are still not out of the danger zone yet, especially given that the tournament's league stage is now getting close to the halfway mark. Chennai will need quite a few wins to make a move upwards in the points table whereas Gujarat will want to continue their good work and remain at the top spot. Chennai will be moving forward knowing that they will be playing this season without their ace fast bowler Deepak Chahar, who is currently grappling with two different injuries and will be continuing with his recovery and rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.
PLAYERS’ FORM: Both Gujarat and Chennai have several players firing on all cylinders for them. For Gujarat, their captain Hardik Pandya has been unstoppable whereas having missed out on scoring heavily in the last two matches, the young Shubman Gill will be fired up to make it count against the defending champions Chennai. For Chennai, Shivam Dube has been unstoppable with the bat but at the same time, the failure of Ruturaj Gaikwad to fire in any of the outings so far is concerning. Chennai will also be expecting more runs from former captain M Dhonii and the incumbent Ravindra Jadeja.
Changes in squad (if any): NO
LIKELY XIs:
GUJARAT: Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal
CHENNAI: Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Dube, Ambati Rayudu, M Dhonii, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Mukesh Choudhary, Chris Jordan, Maheesh Theekshana
FANTASY XI: Matthew Wade, Robin Uthappa, David Miller, Shivam Dube, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali (vc), Hardik Pandya (c), Dwayne Bravo, Lockie Ferguson, Maheesh Theekshana
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Confident Gujarat wary of revitalised Chennai
Gujarat will hope that their big guns continue to fire when they take on the mighty Chennai, a team that is in transition but still very dangerous, in the match number 29 of the ongoing Indian T20 cricket league 2022 tournament on Sunday night.
Both Gujarat and Chennai will be happy with the fact that they are meeting for the first time ever on the ground that has produced mixed results so far in the tournament, which means that playing good cricket all around will be the only way to go past the finish line for either teams.
Gujarat will enter this contest as firm favourites given the fact that they have been able to pull off favourable results from the tough situations, something that the Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai have not.
Nevertheless, Chennai will be confident having opened their account in the points table after suffering five straight defeats, by producing an outstanding all-round display against Bangalore in their previous match a few nights ago.
Shivam Dube has established himself as the most important batsman in the Chennai ranks now, having scored a fabulous match-winning 94 against Bangalore in the last match. At the same time, Robin Uthappa too has been a vital cog for the defending champions. Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa's rapid 165-run stand was as brutal as it could get.
Chennai, however, will be wary of the Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya who is among the top-run scorers in the tournament so far and has also featured regularly in the wickets' column while leading his side with aplomb.
