Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will be taking on each other in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing IPL 2022 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday evening and the winner would directly go through to the final set to be played in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat had finished the league stage at the top of the table while Rajasthan followed closely behind at second.
There are some match-winners in both the teams so it would be interesting to watch some of the key player battles.
Here are some of the battles that can play a big role in deciding the winner between GT-RR:
Jos Buttler vs Alzarri Joseph
Buttler has been in fine form for RR this season, registering 629 runs and he is the current holder of the Orange Cap. However, in the last few matches, his form has dipped and Gujarat would be looking to cash in. Alzarri Joseph can bowl real quick and he has the ability to rattle the batters.
Hardik Pandya vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal holds the Purple Cap with 26 scalps this season, while skipper Hardik has led from the front, scoring 413 runs. Both these players are vital to their lineup. Both are expected to play a vital role, and how Chahal bowls to Hardik in the middle phase of the game can potentially change the game on its head.
Ravichandran Ashwin vs David Miller
Ashwin's record to left-handers is second to none, and he enjoys bowling to them. Sanju Samson has been using Ashwin in the powerplay but it would be interesting to see whether he holds him back just for David Miller and Rahul Tewatia. With both these batters back to the hut, Rajasthan can probably dictate the game.
Left-armer Trent Boult always has his radar right in the powerplay overs so Gill cannot let his guard down. Gill and Saha have been giving Gujarat good starts at the top so it is important for Boult to provide Rajasthan with a crucial blow early on.