IPL 2022: 4 players with approaching landmarks in today's GT vs LSG clash
The fourth match of IPL 2022 is scheduled to take place at the Wankhede Stadium today and will be the clash between the two new IPL teams, the Gujarat Titans will be and the Lucknow Super Giants.
Gujarat Titans have a top-bowling unit but their batting lineup was dented by Jason Roy pulling out of the season.
Their top-order batting will be heavily reliant on Shubman Gill and the middle-order will consist of the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Vijay Shankar, who have failed to show consistency. However, David Miller, Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia are a few names who have the ability to conquer the opposition bowlers.
The KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants are a well-balanced side. The skipper and Quinton de Kock will begin the innings, followed by Manish Pandey, They are likely to close with attacking players like Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, and Krishnappa Gowtham lower down the order.
While both teams kick off their IPL 2022 schedule this year, let's take a look at four players on the verge of approaching landmarks in tonight's game.
#1 KL Rahul need two fours to complete 500 T20 boundaries
Rahul has been among the most consistent batters in the shortest format of the game especially when it comes to the Indian Premier League. Rahul scored 626 runs in 13 games last season at a whopping average of over 62. He has always been in contention for the IPL Orange Cap.
Rahul has gathered 498 fours in T20s so far and simply needs two more to contain 500 T20 fours under his belt. Moreover, he is a half-century away from reaching fifty fifties in T20 matches. Fans will be hoping Rahul gets to achieve these milestones in today's match and starts IPL 2022 on a positive note.
#2 Shahbaz Nadeem requires two wickets to collect 50 scalps in IPL
Shahbaz Nadeem was bought by the Super Giants for the price of ₹50 lakhs at the mega-auction earlier this year. He bowls a left-arm orthodox spin and bats right-handedly down the order. In his 72-match IPL career, Nadeem has picked up 48 wickets with a best of 3/16 at an economy rate of 7.56.
If he manages to pick up two more scalps in tonight's clash, Nadeem will have collected 50 IPL wickets. Nadeem has the ability to turn the game with the ball and it will be quite interesting to see what he does on the Wankhede pitch.
#3 Hardik Pandya is two big hits away from reaching 100 IPL maximums
Hardik Pandya is all set to captain a team for the first time in his IPL career. He was picked up by the Gujarat Titans even before the mega-auction and named their skipper ahead of the season.
Having been an integral part of Mumbai Indians since 2015, Hardik Pandya will start his IPL innings with a new franchise today. While he starts this edition on a fresh note, he has quite a number of milestones lined up along the way.
Hardik Pandya has gathered 98 sixes in the competition and needs to clear the fence twice to have a ton of sixes to his name in the league. Moreover, he has also gathered 97 boundaries in IPL and needs just three more to reach 100 fours in the tournament.
Pandya stands at 1,476 runs in the league and with 24 runs, he can get to the 1,500-run mark in IPL. Finally, coming to his fielding abilities, the newly-appointed skipper is three grabs short of collecting 100 catches in T20s.
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#4 Shubman Gill needs 83 to reach 1,500 IPL runs
Gill will be expected to open big in the side's opening game. A hard-hitter and an excellent timer of the ball, Shubman Gill has been a true asset for whichever team he has represented over the years.
Gill has scored 1,417 runs in his 58-match IPL career at an average of 31.49. If he gets going in tonight's game and adds 83 more, he will have joined the 1,500-run club in the tournament. Moreover, Gill (49) needs one six to get to 50 maximums in T20 cricket.