IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's PBKS vs GT match
Sunday's IPL 2024 clash between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) isn't just about two teams who have struggled to win some close games and now need a lifeline win to keep going. It's also about teams with two brilliant bowling attacks on paper who have just not fired collectively when needed.
Positioned ninth and eighth in the table respectively, they are now coming to a ground - Mullanpur, PBKS' home - that has seen a ton of wickets. Even if they'd go searching for that perfect team performance to build momentum, you can't help but think that they'd need another individual brilliance to pass the other.
Below, we have predicted three names who could do that with the ball in hand:
#3 Sam Curran
PBKS' stand-in IPL 2024 captain might not have been able to change his team's fortunes but has found some consistency in bowling by getting himself the difficult overs. He has picked up two wickets each in the last three games - all in Mullanpur - and most have been crucial, though without a lot of support to follow.
The left-arm seamer would try something similar against GT. The Shubman Gill-led side's troubles lie at the top of the order as well as lower down, which are Curran's areas of operation.
Curran knows that the visitors have often been over-reliant on Shubman Gill and the GT skipper, too, can struggle against his angles and trickery early on.
#2 Spencer Johnson
There aren't a lot better options to pick for GT. They need their spinners to do the job but Mullanpur has been a pacers' heaven in IPL 2024. And it could be the game when left-arm quick Spencer Johnson truly comes to his own.
He has been quite unlucky in recent games and the sluggish pitches haven't helped. Mullanpur would give him the carry and perhaps a bit of swing too. It might also make his variations and bouncers more effective.
PBKS' top order is in even worse shape than GT and they didn't even field either of Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow, who started the season, to open. Johnson's pace could come in handy against them as well as the brilliant lower-order duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma.
#1 Harshal Patel
For all his trolling and jokes about his death-overs ability, Harshal Patel has been one of PBKS' best players in IPL 2024, especially in Mullanpur. In the last three matches at the venue, he has six wickets at an economy rate of just 8.2. The right-arm seamer has taken his tournament tally of 10 wickets at an average of 26.30.
GT have a death-overs batting average of 18.69 this season and have lost 13 wickets in this phase. Even so, given their position, they might have no option but to come hard at the bowlers.
Harshal would be raring to exploit that dynamic and add to the tally, even if he fails to get some wickets top of the order.