Gujarat Titans' quest to continue dominance and book a berth in playoffs  

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Our Predictions 

• Gujarat Titans have won the last four out of five games, and they sit on top of the points table  
• Lucknow Super Giants will miss their skipper and star batsman KL Rahul, who is out with an injury  
• Gujarat Titans' bowlers Mohammad Shami and Rashid Khan have shared 36 wickets between them 

MATCH PREVIEW     

Defending champions Gujarat Titans are going strong. They would like to continue their dominance as they take on the Lucknow Super Giants in the 51st game of the Indian Premier League 2023. The Titans come here with a 9-wicket win against the Rajasthan Royals, and the side has looked in excellent form. Super Giants' last game against the Chennai Super Kings was washed away by rain, and they are battling inconsistency. It will be interesting to see if the Super Giants can pull off a surprise and get their campaign back on track.  

Gujarat Titans Preview     

It was a dominating performance from Hardik Pandya's side in the last game against the Rajasthan Royals. They bowled well to keep the hosts to a small total and chased it down clinically. With seven wins in 10 games, they sit on the top of the points table. A win here would seal a spot for them in the next round. Pandya would like to ride this momentum and take his side to victory.  

Shubman Gill has made 375 runs this season and would like to set up a big opening wicket stand with Wriddhiman Saha. The middle order is strong for the side, as Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, and David Miller have scored runs. They will also look for contributions from Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan in the lower middle order.  

Mohammad Shami has bowled brilliantly with 18 wickets and would look to start well with Pandya. Rashid Khan has been at his best, and being the star bowler for the side, he would look to trouble LSG's batters in the middle overs. Noor Ahmed, Mohit Sharma, and Joshua Little add variety to this attack and will look to keep the scoring rate under check.  

Expected Starting XI for Gujarat Titans     

Hardik Pandya (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Joshua Little, Mohammed Shami (Impact Player) 

Lucknow Super Giants Preview     

Their last game against the Chennai Super Kings was abandoned, and the side has been facing a mid-season crisis. KL Rahul's injury has come as a big setback for the side. Krunal Pandya will lead in his absence. They are up against the strongest side in the tournament and need to play well. Krunal would like to have the better of his sibling and the Gujrat Titans' skipper in this game  

Quinton de Kock has big shoes to fill, replacing Rahul, and he needs to do well opening the batting with Kyle Mayers, who has been in good form. The rest of the batting has struggled, and the side will expect a good show from Krunal Pandya, Karan Sharma, and Marcus Stoinis in the middle order. Manan Vohra, Nicholas Pooran, and Ayush Badoni must add runs down the order for the side to win this game.

Naveen-ul-Haq has done well with the ball, and he must strike early with Mohsin Khan as the Titans have a powerful batting line-up. Krishnappa Gowtham and Ravi Bishnoi would be key bowlers for the side, and they need to do well in the middle overs. Stoinis and Pandya shall have to do well in the supporting role for the side to do well.  

Expected Starting XI for Lucknow Super Giants     

Krunal Pandya (c), Kyle Mayers, Manan Vohra, Karan Sharma, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Krishnappa Gowtham, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Quinton de Kock (Impact Player)  

TOSS: To Bowl First      

It is an afternoon game, and the batting conditions would be the best in the first innings. The ball comes to the bat nicely, allowing batsmen to play their strokes. The last two games have been won by sides that have batted first, and hence we expect the side winning the toss to have a go with the bat.  

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS      

Ahmedabad would see a hot and humid afternoon on May 7, and this would test the players out in the middle. The wicket would be dry, and batsmen would need to adjust to the pace and bounce. The side that bats first in this game would be happy to reach a target of 180 runs on this surface. 

OUR PREDICTION      

The Lucknow Super Giants had started the season on a high and played well in the initial games. However, they have lost their form in the last few games, and an injury to their skipper has come as a big blow. The Titans are in red-hot form. Their top order is doing well, and they have two bowlers in excellent form. It will make them favorites to win this contest and strengthen their position on the points table.  

Our Prediction is for Gujarat Titans to win