IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's GT vs RCB match
The last time Ahmedabad hosted a match in IPL 2024, Delhi Capitals (DC) came here and absolutely blew away the home side Gujarat Titans (GT). On a pitch that had a bit of help for the bowlers, DC bowled GT out for just 89, also thanks to some poor batting, before chasing it in less than nine overs.
A repeat of the same is unlikely but when you have two of the most struggling batting lineups competing on one of the trickiest pitches in the tournament, a ton of wickets falling is more of a formality. Below, we have tried to predict three bowlers who can take the best advantage of the conditions and pick up the most wickets:
#3 Cameron Green
It's a left-field choice but Cameron Green has been pretty good with the ball in IPL 2024. In the last two matches, he has four wickets -- two in the middle overs and two at the death -- which have brought down his bowling average from over 50 at one stage to 25.33 ahead of the match against GT.
He's extremely tall and gets more movement off the surface than most bowlers at his age, even with his slower ones. That could be perfect for the Ahmedabad pitch against GT's out-of-form batting line-up which relies heavily on its top-order. Green must be confident after contributing with both bat and ball for RCB recently and this could be the game he makes that count with a match-winning performance.
#2 Mohit Sharma
In contrast to Green, Mohit Sharma has had a forgetful last few appearances. He conceded a jaw-dropping 73 runs against DC - the most expensive spell in IPL history and the one that'd end his dreams of a 2024 T20 World Cup.
But that was Delhi, one of the flattest tracks in the country at the moment. This is Ahmedabad and Mohit is one of the best bowlers ever to step foot here: 26 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 11.88 with ridiculous best figures of 5/10.
Since his comeback to the IPL in 2023, he has gone wicketless at this venue just once and that was his first game. There is hardly anyone else in the tournament who can use the long-ish boundaries and the grip on the surface better than Mohit, especially in death overs. RCB's lower order is still unreliable despite their win in the last match and would underestimate the veteran at their own peril.
#1 R Sai Kishore
The game in Delhi was bad for R Sai Kishore too and he should see a turn in fortunes in the home game as well. And, again, the reason is the pitch.
GT slept on him despite his early success in IPL 2024 and he hasn't played much in Ahmedabad. But the conditions here would be quite similar to Lucknow where he picked up a stunning four-wicket haul, his best spell in the IPL.
The kind of pace variation he used there would be of similar utility against RCB, whose batters have struggled against left-arm spinners all season. On a pitch like this, he'd be the perfect antidote to the visitors' batting lineup.