Udaipur, April 9, 2025: The Gujarat Titans take on the Rajasthan Royals in the 23rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The host team is currently placed second on the IPL 2025 points table, with three wins from four matches. They won their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets and moved up in the standings.

Both the Gujarat Titans and the Rajasthan Royals will look to fix their bowling issues when they face each other on Wednesday. The Titans have six points, and a win in this match will further strengthen their position. On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals have four points, and they, too, will aim to win this match to avoid any uncertainty in the upcoming games.

Gujarat and Rajasthan bowlers must step up

Some of the key bowlers from both Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals have not performed as expected so far. To strengthen their position in the points table, both teams will need better performances from their bowling units. For Gujarat, only fast bowler Mohammad Siraj and spinner R Sai Kishore have done well so far. However, the poor form of star spinner Rashid Khan and experienced pacer Ishant Sharma is a concern.

Rashid Khan’s poor form adds pressure

Rashid Khan, known as a T20 expert, has taken just one wicket in four matches and is conceding over 10 runs per over. This is his worst start ever in the IPL. Ishant Sharma has also struggled, taking just one wicket in three games while conceding 12 runs per over. Gujarat lacks good backup options as pacers like Arshad Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi haven't been effective either.

Rajasthan’s batting looks solid

Rajasthan Royals' top-order has been in good touch. Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Nitish Rana have scored runs at a strike rate of over 150. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also returned to form with a 67-run knock against Punjab Kings. But just like Gujarat, Rajasthan’s main problem is their bowling. Apart from Sandeep Sharma, no other bowler has been consistent. England pacer Jofra Archer showed promise in the last match with 3 wickets for 25 runs, and the team will expect more from him.

Batters likely to shine in Ahmedabad

The Ahmedabad pitch has favored batters so far. The completed innings at this venue have seen scores of 243, 232, 196, and 160 runs. Gujarat’s batting lineup is strong, featuring captain Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford, and B Sai Sudarshan. Washington Sundar also showed his batting depth with a 49-run knock against Punjab Kings.

Squads

Gujarat Titans: B Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Karim Janat.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Riyan Parag, Shubham Dube, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Yudhveer Singh, Jofra Archer, Mahesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Karthikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Quena Mphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.