Shubman Gill‘s GT will face off against the Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS in the fifth match of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 25. In the previous season both the teams missed out on the playoff spot finishing 8th and 9th position, respectively. With the tournament celebrating its 18th edition, these two sides will look to change their fortune.
Every IPL team this season has seen changes – new players, new captains, and new coaches – thanks to the mega auction. But Gujarat Titans have had something even bigger: new owners. The original promoter group, CVC, has ceded control to a new corporate entity. But ask Shubman Gill and he would say, ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same.’
GT vs PBKS : Previous Performances
Gujarat Titans had a dream start in IPL, lifting the title in their very first season in 2022 and finishing as runners-up in 2023. However, 2024 was a disappointing season as they finished eighth. Under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, the side is looking to make a strong comeback, having retained their core player and bringing in some new players.
The addition of Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, and Kagiso Rabada has strengthened their squad, with Rashid Khan also in the fray. However, the over-reliance on top-order batters Shubman Gill, Buttler, and Sai Sudarshan could be a concern.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings haven’t qualified for playoffs since 2014. However, a completely new squad and the appointment of Shreyas Iyer as captain and Ricky Ponting as head coach have given them fresh hope and perspective. With Shreyas Iyer leading the batting lineup, along with Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Josh Inglis, Punjab Kings have acquired some key players. Their bowling attack, features Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, and Yuzvendra Chahal, who could restrict Gujarat’s explosive batting order.
GT vs PBKS : Head to Head
GT and PBKS have played just 5 IPL matches against each other so far since Gujarat had their IPL debut in 2022. Punjab have won 2 of those games and the Titans 3. In IPL 2024, they had two encounters. Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans won one each, both by 3 wickets.Titans have a 3-2 lead over Punjab, but the visitors won the only previous meeting between the two teams in Ahmedabad last year.
| Matches Played | 5 |
| Won by Gujarat Titans | 3 |
| Won by Punjab Kings | 2 |
| Tied | 00 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | April 08, 2022 |
| Most-recent Fixture | April 21, 2024 |
GT vs PBKS : Pitch and weather report
The Narendra Modi Stadium is a batting paradise, often producing high-scoring encounters. With an average first-innings total of around 200, the surface has a good bounce. Pacers get early movement, but as the match progresses, spinners come into play as the pitch slows down. The stadium’s dry and hard surface makes it a balanced venue for both batters and bowlers. With clear skies in the forecast, it is expected to be a cracker of a game. However, captains might still prefer chasing, given that the pitch slows down in the second innings.
It should be a high-scoring game with no impact of toss but teams may like to field first irrespective of the new rule allowing a second ball in the second innings to counter any element of dew. Largely it will be a contest between the specialists in Gujarat and the all-rounders in Punjab Kings.
It’s difficult to predict how the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium will play. Last season, Titans were bowled out for 89 against Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad managed only 159 and 162 in their two outings. But the venue also saw Titans posting three totals of 199 or more, two of which were chased down, once by PBKS. In all, chasing teams won six of the eight games played in Ahmedabad in IPL 2024.
GT vs PBKS : Big Picture : Stern test awaits Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer ahead of the match
New season, fresh start. That seems to be Punjab Kings’ motto before every IPL season, and it’s no different this time. After IPL 2024, they retained only Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, two uncapped Indians, and brought back Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar at the mega auction in November. The rest of the squad is new, as is their head coach Ricky Ponting.
Ponting wants to make this “the greatest Punjab Kings team”. To be fair, the ingredients are there. Their new captain Shreyas Iyer had had a successful captain-coach relationship with Ponting at Delhi Capitals and led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title last year. Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis will lend muscle to the middle order, and Lockie Ferguson and Yuzvendra Chahal experience to the bowling unit. This is not the first time PBKS have looked this good, however, and their trophy cabinet remains empty.
That’s quite an ambitious goal for a side that appears a bit light on batting. Beyond Shreyas Iyer, there are no established names in the batting lineup and they will need uncapped Shashank Singh to step up and hope for Jos Inglis to replicate his form from the Pakistan leg of the Champions Trophy.
While Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell have the ability to win matches on their day, consistency has not been their strong point. Moreover, if Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya are indeed set to open the innings, they would be among the least experienced opening pairs in the league.
Gujarat Titans did not make so many changes. Shubman Gill remains their captain, Rashid Khan their magician and Rahul Tewatia their miracle man. But they’ve added Jos Buttler to their batting and revamped their fast-bowling attack, which now features Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Their middle order looks brittle, but this is not the first time Titans have looked less than ideal. We all know how they surprised everyone in their inaugural season in 2022.
Just like Ponting, Gill has also made his goal public: “maximise the powerplay”. Last season, Titans were by far the slowest side in that phase, stuttering at 7.41 runs per over. Gill himself will have to play an active role if Titans are to improve that number. Among the 22 batters who faced at least 100 balls in the powerplay in IPL 2024, Gill had the fourth-lowest strike rate, 131.08. An improved performance will not only help Gill the Titans captain but also Gill the India player, who has lost his place in the T20I side.
With the influx of players like Jos Buttler, Glenn Phillips, Kagiso Rabada, and Mohammed Siraj, the Titans appear quite formidable. The addition of Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudarshan, Shahrukh Khan, and Rahul Tewatia to that line-up further strengthens the squad. As someone noted in the pre-match media conference, the Titans now have a ‘problem of plenty,’ boasting a strong group of specialists across batting, bowling, and even fielding.
With a steady coach enjoying an uninterrupted three-year stint and a retained captain, the Titans are undoubtedly one of the most settled sides in the league. Their key dilemma is whether to have Buttler open with Gill or stick with Sai Sudarshan. While having Siraj take the new ball is a luxury, the real question for the GT think tank is how effective he will be in the death overs.
If this Punjab Kings team were to be considered the greatest side ever, the players will need to perform beyond their limits. On paper, however, the Titans appear far stronger for Tuesday’s game
GT vs PBKS : In the Spotlight : Jos Buttler and Glenn Maxwell
Jos Buttler did not have much success as England’s white-ball captain, especially in the last couple of years of his stint, but his T20 stocks are as strong as ever. Since the start of 2024, he averages nearly 40 at a strike rate of almost 150 in the format. He was the only batter in IPL 2024 to score two hundreds. Given Titans need quick and sustained starts in the absence of big names in the middle order, Buttler could be their ideal opener.
Glenn Maxwell is back at PBKS for the third time. In his first season for them, in 2014, he was the third-highest run-getter in the league with 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.75. In 2020, his last season with PBKS, he could manage only 108 runs in 11 innings and could not hit even one six. This time, he is coming off a successful BBL with Melbourne Stars: 325 runs at an average of 54.16 and a strike rate of 186.78. PBKS will hope he continues in the same vein.
GT vs PBKS : Vital Stats that matters
- Gill has 1079 runs in T20s at the Narendra Modi Stadium, at an average of 71.93 and a strike rate of 163.23.
- Earlier this year, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan were the joint-highest-wicket-takers in MI Cape Town’s successful run to the SA20 title.
- Inglis strikes at 149.09 against fast bowlers and 145.74 against spin.
- Only Jasprit Bumrah (6.06) and Matheesha Pathirana (8.12) had better death-overs economy rates than Rashid (8.94) and Chahal (9.00) in the last two IPL seasons (minimum ten overs in that phase).
- PBKS managed to make it to the Play Off/Knockouts only twice across 17 editions and the last of which came way back in 2014.
- No other team has more wins and a better win-loss ratio (1.65) than GT across the last three editions. In 45, they have 28 wins and 17 defeats
- GT have won 17 of the 24 games while chasing in the IPL, their win% of 70.83 while batting second being the second highest for a team in the tournament’s history after Gujarat Lions (12 wins in 16 matches).
- Though he had played a season each for Delhi & Mumbai previously, it was with Punjab that Maxwell made a mark in IPL in 2014 – incidentally the last time they reached the Play Offs. Maxwell himself could never recreate that form for Punjab again, most famously struggling to hit a single six in the entirety of 2020 edition, the last time he represented the franchise.
- Of GT’s seven IPL defeats in Ahmedabad, five have happened to be last-over finishes – two with a match-winning hit off the final ball – vs KKR (Rinku vs Dayal) and the IPL 2023 final
GT vs PBKS : Team News for GT and PBKS
Gujarat Titans:
Injury/Unavailability: There is no information of any injury or unavailability.
Tactics & Matchups: Jos Buttler’s experience and Shubman Gill’s form will be crucial to the side’s chances in the league in general and in Tuesday’s game in particular. Punjab have solid firepower in Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen and how the Gujarat openers will handle the quicker bowlers shall determine the team’s chances.
Glenn Philips and Shah Rukh Khan will be left to counter the guiles of Yuzvendra Chahal, the most successful spinner in the IPL. Titans depend a lot on their top four, with their batting looking a lot less convincing thereafter, on paper at least. In the age of 250-plus totals, they might be the last remaining bowling team in the IPL.
Probable XII: Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler, Sai Sudarshan, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Philips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, R Sai Kishore
Punjab Kings:
Injury/Unavailability: All players are available for selection.
Tactics & Matchups: With three top-quality all-rounders – Marcus Stoinis Glenn Maxwell and Marco Jansen – followed by two quality pacers and a spinner – Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson and Yuzvendra Chahal – Punjab have enough all-round and all-condition bowling resources. They need their batsmen to step up.
Probable XII: Shreyas Iyer, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell , Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera/Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh , Yuzvendra Chahal,
GT vs PBKS Fantasy XI : Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Sai Sudarshan, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshdeep Singh (VC), Mohammed Siraj, Josh Inglis
GT vs PBKS : Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Shubman Gill
It is important for GT that their skipper Shubman Gill maintains his form with the bat for them to have a great season. The right-handed batter performed decently last season, scoring 426 runs at a strike rate of 147.40. Shubman Gill will be expected to give a solid start along with Jos Buttler and stay till the end to post a competitive total.
The youngster is coming off some brilliant performances for India in the recent past in white-ball and will hope to continue that. Shubman Gill had a dream run in the 2023 season and if his bat does the talking he will be on the top of the Orange Cap list once again.
Probable Best Bowler: Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh had a remarkable performance in the previous season as he finished with 19 wickets. The left-arm pacer will look to extract something out of a crematory-like pitch for bowlers. Singh who has done well in the powerplay and death overs will hope to provide the team with crucial breakthroughs against a strong GT batting line-up.
GT vs PBKS : Match Prediction
Both Gujarat and Punjab have a lot to prove in this season. The Titans had a poor season last time as they failed to qualify for playoffs. On the other hand, Punjab Kings continued their fruitless run and have revamped their squad again. Shreyas Iyer’s arrival at PBKS is an added boost as the former KKR captain will be desperate to turn the fortunes for his new team.
Shubman Gill also showed glimpses of brilliance as a skipper a lot of GT’s hopes would hinge on him. In terms of the squads, the Kings do have a formidable lineup on paper but the Titans boast some excellent match-winners in their ranks. It promises to be an intriguing encounter but the Narendra Modi stadium may just suit Gujarat Titans more.
Scenario 1
- Gujarat Titans win the toss and bowl
- PP Score – 45-50
- PBKS- 190-200
- Gujarat Titans win the match
Scenario 2
- Punjab Kings win the toss and bowl
- PP score – 50-55
- GT- 200-210
- Punjab Kings win the match