Sunrisers Hyderabad have not won any of their last five encounters against the Titans. They have lost four of the last five meetings while the fifth game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Gujarat Titans v Sunrisers Hyderabad | IPL 2025 Game 51 | Friday 2 May | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 4pm
This is the first encounter between these two sides this season.
The Titans head into the clash level on points with the Capitals and the Mumbai Indians in second place on the table. SRH, meanwhile, are second from the bottom of the table with three wins from nine games.
The Titans’ good form is underscored by a quick look at the tournament statistics – they boast the top run scorer of IPL 2025 (Sai Sudharsan), the second highest wicket-taker (Prasidh Krishna) and the player with the second highest strike-rate (Rahul Tewatia).
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
The Titans’ record at home is not brilliant. Of the 20 games they have played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, they have won 12 and lost eight. After joining the IPL as a franchise in 2022, the GT enjoyed two stellar seasons, winning the tournament in their debut season and finishing second in year two.
Season three, 2024, was less successful, however, as they lost their way at home. Last season, they won just three out of seven matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
GT skipper Shubman Gill has an outstanding record at the Narendra Modi Stadium. While his overall T20 average is 36.64 at the GT home ground, he averages comfortably over 60.
The highest score posted at the venue was 233 for three scored by the Titans against the Mumbai Indians in 2023. The lowest score, meanwhile, was a disappointing 89 all out for the Titans against Delhi Capitals last season.
Dew is frequently a factor at night in Ahmedabad, which means that sides batting second tend to have the advantage. Despite that, of the 39 T20s played at the venue, the side that fields first have won 21 times, while the side that bats first has won 17. There has also been one tie.
Weather:
It is another scorching day in Ahmedabad on Friday, with the mercury set to rise to over 40 in the middle of the day. It will still be above 35 degrees when Friday’s game starts. Humidity will be around 25%, and there will be a light breeze. No rain is predicted.
Form (most recent game first):
Gujarat Titans: L, W, W, L, W.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: W, L, L, W, L.
Key player:
Gujarat Titans, Sai Kishore: It is never easy for a bowler to dominate in T20 games as they get just four overs to shine. But Kishore has been a consistent thorn in the side of his opponents all season. Playing for a side that is sparkling with the bat, Kishore has worked wonders with the ball. With a strike-rate of 12.4 this season, he has taken 12 wickets from nine games at an average of 17.66. He is not GT’s leading wicket-taker this season, that honour falls to Prasidh Krishna, but he has done excellent work in the middle overs and played a key role in the team’s success.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, Heinrich Klaasen: Given his role as a power-hitter, Klaasen will not always come off. But he has been remarkably consistent this season in a batting lineup that has blown hot and cold. He missed out in the game against CSK, but he is still the tournament’s 14th highest scorer with 288 runs at an average of 36.00 and a strike-rate of 156.52. He has been used up and down the order depending on the requirements, but he is still his team’s highest scorer and their go-to man. Expect him to be the top scorer for SRH on Friday.
Verdict: Gujarat Titans
They are playing at home and, while they are not exactly the picture of consistency (they have won six and lost three), they are getting the results they need. Their top three (Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill) are very dominant, and they have a highly effective bowling unit that offers a blend of everything. SRH are struggling – they made heavy weather of beating the bottom side CSK on Friday, and their key players are not firing as they should. Quite simply, it’s a star team versus a team of stars, and it’s the star team that should win.
