GT vs LSG Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2023 match?
KL Rahul's season-ending injury means that Match 51 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) will see a unique event - two brothers at opposite ends of the coin toss.
Hardik and Krunal Pandya will captain the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) respectively in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 7. This comes in the wake of Rahul having been ruled out of the tournament after suffering an injury against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The signs don't look good for the Super Giants. Karun Nair has been signed as Rahul's replacement, but the batting order wears a terribly thin look in the regular skipper's absence.
More importantly, LSG have never beaten GT in the IPL. They've tried three times and come up short on all occasions, with their last defeat to the defending champions being a particularly painful one.
At the Ekana Stadium, Rahul and Co. were well in control of the chase after a spirited bowling performance and needed just 31 runs off the last six overs. GT pulled things back, though, with Mohit Sharma holding his nerve in the final over.
The Super Giants do have a few things in their favor, though. In third place with 11 points from 10 matches, they could leapfrog the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the standings.
The Titans, meanwhile, are sitting pretty at the summit. With seven wins from 10 games, Hardik and Co. have already racked up 14 points and are well-placed to finish in the top two.
Can LSG defy the odds and upset GT, like the Delhi Capitals (DC) did last week?
IPL 2023, GT vs LSG Match Prediction: Hardik Pandya and Co. look to consolidate top spot
GT steamrolled the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their previous IPL 2023 game, banking on their lethal Afghan spin duo and their top order to get the job done.
Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will be crucial for the defending champions once again. The likes of Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock (if he plays) are not known to be excellent players of spin.
Although they'll be without Josh Little, who is away on international duty, the Titans' bowling attack should be able to seriously trouble the LSG batters. Alzarri Joseph is a more than capable replacement and will be raring to go after a spell on the sidelines.
However, the decent batting surface in Ahmedabad could play into the Super Giants' hands. If a batter or two can get stuck in, they'd be able to post an imposing total that can challenge Gujarat's lineup.
At the same time, though, a lot of things could work against LSG. Ravi Bishnoi doesn't have a great head-to-head record against most of the GT batters, and it remains to be seen what form the returning Mohsin Khan is in.
The rest of their key bowlers, including Avesh Khan and Mark Wood, aren't even part of the playing XI right now.
While anything can happen in a game of cricket, Hardik should be able to win the battle of the brothers on Sunday.
Prediction: GT to win Match 51 of IPL 2023.