3 differences in RR and GT's style of play
An exciting week of IPL rivalries is set to roll on as Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur on Wednesday, April 10.
The two teams have had contrasting seasons so far. GT have won only two of their five games, while RR remain the only unbeaten side in the competition with four wins in as many outings.
Yet, ironically, GT has had the wood on RR in their head-to-head meetings, winning four of the five games. This includes their comprehensive seven-wicket win in the 2022 IPL final to clinch a title in their inaugural season.
However, much has changed since last year. RR's youngsters like Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel have ascended in stature and performances, while GT are without two of their key players, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami. The personnel changes have led to changes in strategies and styles of play for both teams, making the upcoming battle all the more intriguing.
With that said, let us look at three differences in RR and GT's styles of play ahead of today's blockbuster clash.
#1 Batting template of the top order
RR and GT couldn't be more different when it comes to the approach of their top three batters. While RR's top order of Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sanju Samson are in the business of all-out attack from the get-go, GT's top three of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Kane Williamson/Wriddhiman Saha are more sedate in their approach.
Although their overall strike rate in IPL 2024 doesn't convey the entire story, it gives a fair idea of the varying approaches at the top by both sides. Buttler has the lowest strike rate in RR's top three with 136.36, while Jaiswal and Samson are striking at 144.44 and 150.84, respectively.
Switch to GT and skipper Gill is the only one among their top-order batters with a 140+ strike rate of 147.58. Saha, Sai Sudharsan, and Williamson are striking at 131.03, 129.05, and 100, respectively.
Unfortunately for RR, Jaiswal's poor form has resulted in them not having massive powerplay scores but the approach of going bang-bang compared to a more conservative one by the GT top three has been crystal clear in IPL 2024.
#2 Conventional vs unconventional bowling in the powerplay
For the most part, RR has gone in with one of the most unconventional bowling options during the powerplay. The Sanju Samson-led unit has used their two left-arm overseas pacers, Trent Boult and Nandre Burger, in tandem for three overs each in the first six overs, barring the odd occasion.
The duo bowled the first five overs in the powerplay during their season opener against LSG and went full throttle bowling all six overs in their following encounter against DC.
They followed the same strategy against MI and it proved to be match-winning as the left-arm seamers combined for four wickets to leave the opposition 46/4 in six overs.
It was only in their latest outing against RCB that they were forced to take a more conventional route of bowling only four of the six overs with the pair. That was largely due to RCB racing to 42/0 in four overs, with Burger proving expensive in his two overs.
Even then, opening the bowling with two left-arm pacers is in itself a unique strategy and one that has caught opposing batters off-guard this season.
On the other hand, GT have been more conventional in their new-ball strategies, with right-arm pacers Umesh Yadav and Azmatullah Omarzai bowling five of the six overs and Rashid Khan bowling the other in their first three games.
However, in their fourth match against PBKS, the pace duo bowled only the first four overs followed by the Afghanistan spinners, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad bowling an over each.
It was only in their latest encounter that they used left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson in the powerplay in the absence of Omarzai.
The usage of two left-arm pacers for almost the entire powerplay is a plan of action that has rarely been seen in T20 cricket, yet RR has used it to perfection contrary to GT's more tried and tested approach.
#3 Spin-bowling combination
When it comes to the spin department, both teams have taken the exact opposite route in terms of selection. RR has gone with two veteran Indian spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.
However, GT have placed their trust in overseas options for spin-bowling duties for the most part. While Sai Kishore played in the first two games, he missed out on the subsequent three matches. This despite impressing in his two outings with two wickets and an economy of under 7.50, including the game-changing wicket of Rohit Sharma in GT's opening win.
Yet, the franchise has gone for Rashid's Afghanistan teammate Noor Ahmad as the second spinner since the third game of the season. While all four spinners from both teams have performed admirably with Chahal being the standout with eight wickets in four games, the overseas-to-Indian combination in the bowling department has been vastly different.
RR has gone with an overseas-dominated pace attack and the two bankable Indian spinners, while GT has mostly fielded an Indian-dominated seam attack and foreign spinners.