The decks in Ahmedabad have been slower and drier this year than last, but with both games taking place on the same strip, we may see a return to one of the red soil decks today. So, expect more runs than usual.
Since 2023, seven of the eight captains who have won the toss in Ahmedabad have chosen to bowl first, but teams that bat first have won 62.5% of games. Regardless of the dew factor, losing the toss has had less of an impact than it would in other venues.
There are a couple of main reasons for this:
The wicket is so good that you can bat first and post above-par scores, then use scoreboard pressure to wreck games.
The new ball assistance available for quicks in the second innings is difficult to navigate for batters. Before the dew sets in, your team could be 3-4 wickets down while chasing 180+ runs; chasing becomes difficult in those conditions, even when the ball is wet.
This is what we will be using to build our Fantasy XIs today.
Given how serious the injury appeared during the game against Lucknow Super Giants, we're surprised Liam Livingstone hasn't already been ruled out of the tournament. PBKS may be keeping him around so he can play in the second half. It would be a miracle if he showed up to play today, though.
While everyone is focused on Sikandar Raza replacing him, it's important to remember that the Punjab-based franchise paid a whopping 8 crores for Rilee Rossouw. So it is the South African left-hander who is most likely to make his way in.
Rossouw hasn't been in good form lately, and even if he makes it in, he'll face a tough challenge against Afghanistan's spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad. (see 'Player H2H' sheet in match pack).
Rilee Rossouw in last 15 games: Balls - 195, Runs - 181, Avg/SR - 14/93
Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, will have a few selection headaches too. It would have been an easy decision to drop Spencer Johnson for Noor Ahmad against SRH given that it was a day game, but with the possibility of dew today, it will not be as straightforward. If we had to guess, we'd say they'll still go with Noor again, but this time through the impact sub route if GT bats first. Having him in your fantasy XI in that case is extremely risky because if they change their minds and go with Josh Little or Spencer Johnson, it will negatively impact your rank.
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Final Fantasy XI (Dream XI - MSD Mode, Safeplay-Steady Returns)
WK: W Saha
BAT: S Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, K Williamson
AR: S Curran (VC), A Omarzai, S Raza
BOWL: Rashid Khan, M Sharma, N Ahmad, K Rabada
Pre-toss: None
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For Predicted Playing XIs, Advanced Matchups, Daily Fantasy Stat Board, Venue Notes, BOD, BOM, & much more, please check: IPL - Match 17
