Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey

GT vs LKN Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: IPL 2022 Match 4 | GT vs LSG Dream11 Prediction Today | Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants Key Players | Wankhede Pitch Report

Here we go. It’s time for the two newest teams to grace the IPL, and the beauty of this contest is that we can have almost no idea how it will transpire.

Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans will be looking to write their own classic narratives in IPL 2022. Both sides have plenty to look forward to, with proven talent and experience on show. Lucknow’s opening pair of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock is one to die for. The Lockie Ferguson-Rashid Khan-Mohammed Shami trio could prove wonders for Gujarat. And, the Pandya brothers will go head-to-head for the first time.

Those factors alone make for an eyecatching battle.

The key here is how quickly both sides can shake off the nerves and get into their stride. KL Rahul will be hoping for a new lease of life after a frustrating time as skipper of the Punjab Kings, while attention will be fixed on how Hardik Pandya leads Gujarat both with his all-round cricket and man management skills.

This should be fun.

Possible Playing 11

It remains to be seen who Gujarat play at number three.

Gujarat Titans: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Matthew Wade (wk), 3. Wriddhiman Saha/Vijay Shankar, 4. Abhinav Manohar, 5. David Miller, 6. Hardik Pandya (c), 7. Rahul Tewatia, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. R Sai Kishore, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Mohammed Shami

Lucknow don’t have Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers available yet due to national commitments.

Lucknow Super Giants: 1. KL Rahul (c), 2. Quinton de Kock (wk), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Deepak Hooda, 5. Manan Vohra, 6. Krunal Pandya, 7. Ankit Rajpoot, 8. Krishnappa Gowtham, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Avesh Khan

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Gujarat Titans:

• Is this the season where Shubman Gill fulfills his potential? He has shown glimpses of his brilliance in the IPL, without prolonged periods of consistency. He averages 32.97 in 37 innings as opener in the IPL, with a strike rate of 122.38.
• Gill has an excellent record against pace bowling between 140 and 150km/h in the IPL. He has scored 204 runs off 144 balls at an average of 68.00. Dushmantha Chameera and Avesh Khan are likely to play for LSG, so keep an eye on this battle.
• Gujarat will be hoping for Matthew Wade to show some of the form he showed in last year’s T20 World Cup. He much prefers to bat first in T20s (77 inns, 2,320 runs, avg. 36.83, SR 148.81) compared to second (73 inns, 1,082 runs, avg. 17.17, SR 116.22).
• What a huge occasion it is for Hardik Pandya. He has plenty of experience playing at the Wankhede, with 777 runs in 37 innings at an average of 33.78 and strike rate of 135.13.
• Also, Hardik strikes at 200 in overs 17-20 in the IPL. Watch out if he is set at this stage.
• Expect Gujarat to use the great Rashid Khan in the powerplay and between overs 12 and 20. He has a wonderful record against KL Rahul in the IPL (30 balls, 18 runs, three wickets). Also, he concedes just 6.8 runs per over in phase 12-16 and just 8.0 per over in the death overs.
• Lockie Ferguson has taken 19 wickets in his last 13 IPL matches at an economy rate of just 7.46. He is a genuine wicket-taker and will be key against LSG’s middle order that has a lot to prove.
• Mohammed Shami has a solid record at the Wankhede, with 10 wickets in six T20s at an average of 18.90 and strike rate of 14.40.

Lucknow Super Giants:

• KL Rahul, of course. The Lucknow skipper has had a prolific last three seasons of the IPL, scoring 1,889 runs at an average of 57.24 and strike rate of 134.26 since the beginning of IPL 2019. Also, Rahul has an outstanding record at the Wankhede, with 494 runs in nine matches at an average of 61.75 and strike rate of 146.15.
• Rahul averages 64 and strikes at 130 in the powerplay in the IPL. The average and strike rate drop to 40 and 121 between overs 7-11, before the strike rate explodes to 185 between overs 17-20. Gujarat need his wicket by the middle part of the innings at the latest.
• Rahul’s partnership with Quinton de Kock is one of the most exciting aspects of Lucknow this season. de Kock strikes at 144 in the powerplay in the IPL, and has an excellent record at the Wankhe: 10 inns, 391 runs, avg. 43.44, SR 143.75.
• It’s a big season for Manish Pandey. He too has some solid numbers at the Wankhede, with 215 runs in eight knocks at an average of 35.83 and strike rate of 130.30.
• Krunal Pandya’s experience at the Wankhede will be key for Lucknow. The left-arm spinner has taken 26 wickets in 28 innings on this ground at an economy rate of just 6.67. He has also struck 375 runs at a strike rate of 136.36.
• Eyes will be fixed on Ravi Bishnoi. The leg-spinner was terrific in IPL 2021, taking 12 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of just 6.38. Also, he won player of the match vs West Indies last month for his 2/17.
• Avesh Khan took the second-most wickets in IPL 2021 (24, avg. 18.75, econ. 7.37).

Stats and Facts

• Abhinav Manohar could be one to watch. He struck 70*, 19, 27 and 46 at an overall strike rate of 150 in the Syed Ali Mushtaq Trophy in November last year.
• Quinton de Kock strikes at 124 between overs 7-11 and Manish Pandey strikes at just 112 in the same period. If Gujarat dismiss KL Rahul early, they can build pressure from there.
• Avesh Khan averages 16.2 runs per wicket in the powerplay in the IPL, at an economy rate of just 6.2. Also, expect Lucknow to use Avesh between overs 12-16, as he averages just 14.6 in this period at an economy rate of 6.9.
• Hardik Pandya is two away from 100 sixes in the IPL.

Wankhede Stadium Mumbai Pitch Report and Weather

Swing and seam was on offer in the IPL 2022 opener between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Umesh Yadav exploited the conditions perfectly, winning player of the match for his brilliant 2/20. The pitch also offered turn, but expect the powerplay bowlers to play a key role once again.

Since 2020, the chasing team has won 14 of the 20 T20s at the Wankhede. Expect the captain who wins the toss to choose to chase as the team batting second has won all three games so far in this IPL.

Another clear and warm evening is forecast in Mumbai.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock
• Batsmen: Manish Pandey, Shubman Gill
• All-rounders: Hardik Pandya
• Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, Avesh Khan

Match Prediction

What an intriguing battle this promises to be between the two new teams. Lucknow look strong this season, while Gujarat are sprinkled with talent too. Lucknow should win, but the team batting first needs 170+ to feel competitive.