Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders are facing each other in the 13th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday. GT's regular skipper Hardik Pandya is not playing the game and it was a setback for many fans when they saw Rashid Khan at the toss. Meanwhile, it has been understood that Hardik is unwell and hence, is missing the encounter against KKR. Rashid Khan confirmed the news, stating that the team doesn't want to take any risks in case of the all-rounder.
Vijay Shankar has replaced Hardik in the playing XI as GT opted to bat first after winning the toss. "We would like to bat first, looks like a fresh wicket, hopefully we can put up a good total and defend it. (On Hardik Pandya not playing today) Just unwell slightly, don't want to take risks with him. As a team we will try to play good cricket. We would like to bat well and putJust one change, Vijay Shankar is in for Hardik," Rashid said at the toss.
"It is all about spending as much time in the middle as you can. It is more about having that intent to keep looking for the runs. More mental than technical. The game doesn't change even when you switch formats. All about fine-tuning your mind and getting a bit of practice under your belt. Understanding your role is also important, it is more about the situation you are in," Shubman Gill said before the game.
"Don't think you can go in with a set mindset especially against one of the best spinners in the world. The strength of the side is that everyone contributes. It is just about doing the simple things and being consistent. You won't see one player doing all the work throughout the season. Each player contributes something," he added.
GT's Playing XI:
Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan (c) Alzarri Joseph, Josh Little, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami
KKR's Playing XI:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Nitish Rana (c), N Jagadeesan, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy
