"He could be an X-factor" - Sehwag picks Shahrukh Khan, Jadeja picks Rabada as players to watch out for from PBKS vs GT in IPL 2022
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag believes Punjab Kings (PBKS) hard-hitter Shahrukh Khan will be a key player in their encounter against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Friday.
Shahrukh came into the IPL 2022 season with a huge price tag and a reputation for being arguably one of the best finishers in the country. However, he has scored just 30 runs from three games at an appalling strike rate of 83.33.
Nevertheless, while speaking to Cricbuzz, Sehwag said that if Shahrukh unleashes himself against the GT bowlers, he could truly be a match-winner for PBKS. The 43-year-old said:
"I think Shahrukh Khan. We have seen Livingstone already but if Shahrukh Khan bats explosively down the order, then he could be an X factor for Punjab."
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja feels GT is a bit overdependent on Shubman Gill. He reckons speedster Kagiso Rabada can run through the GT batting and will be a key player for PBKS. He asserted:
"For me, I think Rabada is very important. Like Nortje didn't do well in the last game, Rabada too didn't perform in the first game. If there is any weakness in Gujarat, it is their top-order that hasn't been exposed yet and that's why Rabada is key for Punjab."
in international cricket and what he aims to achieve at #SaddaPunjab! 
๐ปThe Rise of Rabada! ๐ฅ
Watch Kagiso Rabada talk about soaring through the ranks of South African youth cricket, rising to the๐ in international cricket and what he aims to achieve at #SaddaPunjab! ๐ช๐ป
#IPL2022 #PunjabKings #เจธเจพเจกเจพเจชเฉฐเจเจพเจฌ @KagisoRabada25 https://t.co/ujZEaMVMda
Gujarat have a better bowling attack than Rajasthan: Sehwag ahead of PBKS vs GT
Many believe that with the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in their ranks, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have arguably the best bowling attack in IPL 2022.
However, Sehwag is of the opinion that GT have a lot of wicket-taking options and backups, something that RR lack. He stated:
"They have the X factor in Rashid Khan. They also have Ferguson and Mohammed Shami. This pair is excellent and hit that 140 kmph mark. Hardik Pandya can also bowl so they have another option. Vijay Shankar and Tewatia can also bowl."
#mshami11 #IPL2022 https://t.co/gYZodCFnt5
The 43-year-old reckons having extra bowling options always helps when some bowlers have an off day. He added:
"We talk about five bowlers but they have 6-7 options. So whenever any bowler has a bad day, it can be compensated with other bowlers. So according to me I think their bowling is better than that of Rajasthan."
With Mohammed Shami attacking with the new ball and the PBKS openers Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan keen to make the most of the powerplay, we certainly have a riveting contest on our hands.