The Gujarat Titans are set to play the Punjab Kings in the fifth Indian Premier League match. The game will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans will clash in the fifth game of the 2025 IPL (Indian Premier League). The game will be played on Tuesday, March 25, at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Established in 2022, the Ahmedabad-based franchise made history from the word go, becoming just the second team after the Rajasthan Royals to win the IPL title in its inaugural season.

The Titans are one of the league's most dependable teams, having won the title in 2022 and almost defended it in 2023 before falling to CSK in a cliffhanger of a final. The 2024 season was a disappointment though, with the team missing out on a final appearance for the first time in their IPL history. Going into the 18th edition of the league, GT is now looking to win its second title.

The Punjab Kings, however, are perhaps one of the greatest flops of IPL's history. They made it to the semis in 2008 and had their best year, finishing second, in 2014. Since then, though, the PBKS have not made it to the playoffs in any season. With new leadership and players, they are trying to improve now.

PBKS is now skippered by Shreyas Iyer and mentored by Ricky Ponting the same combination who guided the Delhi Capitals to their first IPL final in 2020. GT, however, has a well-settled team headed by Shubman Gill. They begin as favourites at their home base in Ahmedabad, but PBKS may turn out to be unpredictable in new hands.

Match Preview

Gujarat Titans

Shubman Gill and his unit are eager to redeem themselves for their sub-par performance last year. They failed to be consistent and miss out on the playoffs. The bowling attack was below par last year and improved significantly this season. It's a home ground for them, and Gill wishes to make use of the home comforts and kick the season off in a positive fashion.

Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler are both aggressive batsmen, and the team is looking to them to take off well in this game. Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Mahipal Lomror, and Washington Sundar will have to take the innings forward in the middle order and form partnerships. Glenn Phillips, Rashid Khan, and Rahul Tewatia are explosive hitters and will try to score runs at a fast rate in the lower middle order.

The bowling attack is potent this season, and the team is looking for early blows from Kagiso Rabada and Mohammad Siraj. Rashid Khan is the team's go-to bowler and will seek to capitalize on the conditions and play well in the middle overs with Washington Sundar. Mohammad Arshad Khan and Tewatia need to play good innings in the supporting roles.

Punjab Kings

The Punjab Kings have been at the bottom of the points table and have not made it to the playoffs for the past ten seasons. Shreyas Iyer, who captained KKR to victory last season, will be donning the captain's hat now and will try to continue the winning momentum for the team. The game against the Gujarat Titans will be challenging for them, and Iyer is looking for a good performance from his team and their first points of the season.

Prabhsimran Singh has been one of the performing players for the team in recent years and will have to take off with Vishnu Vinod. Shreyas Iyer will have to take charge at the middle order, forming combinations with Marcus Stoinis and Suryansh Shegde. The heavy lifting of the lower mid-order will be done by Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, and Shashank Singh as they take the team to a high score.

Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility. The new duo will need to make early inroads, as the Titans' batsmen will come at them aggressively in the initial overs. Yuzvendra Chahal will have to use his experience in the middle overs and gel well with Kuldeep Sen. Stoinis, Maxwell, and Harpreet Brar add variety to the attack and will have to play the supporting role well.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium is expected to provide a balanced playing field that benefits both batsmen and bowlers. It tends to be flat, favoring early batting, but spinners should be brought in later as the pitch wears down. The last time the Gujarat Titans faced the Punjab Kings, they successfully chased down a target of 143 in the final over.

Toss Prediction

Putting up a total on this wicket can be tricky, as teams have often managed to chase down big scores with ease. In fact, the team chasing has won four out of the last five matches. Teams really enjoy chasing at this stadium. The team that wins the coin toss in this match might just opt to let the opposition bat first.

Weather Report

With just a 5% chance of interruptions, it seems the weather won’t have much impact on the match. We’re looking at a maximum temperature of 35°C and a minimum of 23°C during the game.

Head to Head

The clashes between the Titans and the Kings have always been a thrilling ride. In 2024, both Gujarat and Punjab have each snagged a win against the other. Out of their last five encounters, the Titans have come out on top three times, while the Kings have managed two victories.

Venue Details

Located in Ahmedabad, the Narendra Modi Stadium features a flat surface and a quick outfield. Batsmen have generally thrived here, although the wicket can throw them a curveball with its two-tiered nature. Those who take their time to build their innings tend to find more success. Fast bowlers need to rely on their variations to make an impact on this pitch. Spinners have also found it to be a good venue, as the ball can turn sharply and catch batsmen off guard.

Match Prediction

The Punjab Kings have been shaky openers in the IPL and have that history on their shoulders. The batting order is powerful, but the team is short of grit in its bowling. The bowlers have the job of getting ready for a win. The Gujarat Titans are playing at home and possess a potent batting order. They have an excellent record here and thus enjoy the upper hand in this match.

Gujarat Titans victory.

Betting Tips

Even though both teams ended up in the eighth and ninth spots in the 2024 IPL standings, they’ve each notched up five wins out of 14 matches. They’re eager to build on this early momentum and kick off a winning streak to secure a playoff spot. With their impressive trophy history and a significantly bolstered squad,

The Gujarat Titans have a slim chance of clinching victory here.

Probable Playing XI

Gujarat Titans Playing XI

Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma.

Punjab Kings Playing XI

Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Shreyas Iyer (C), Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

Gujarat Titans Key Players

Shubman Gill has not had the best of years by his standards, but we're still choosing him since he is still the center of our team and we're hoping he will change things around this season. This is our first choice for the next match.

Rashid Khan could not make a difference in last season despite picking up just ten wickets. But it does not change the reality that he's the second-best bowler in the IPL and hence he is our number-one recommendation for this match.

Sai Sudharsan scored 527 runs off twelve games at a score of 47 in the previous season. He's a dependable batsman and would prove to be an excellent choice for this match.

Punjab Kings Key Players

Glenn Maxwell is a hard-hitting batsman and is also capable of bowling a few overs with spin. His all-rounder worth would be a useful selection for this match.

Arshdeep Singh has played sensationally in the T20 format and showed his brilliance at the international level. He picked up 19 wickets last season, and we would like to see him do the same this time around as well, so he is our first choice for this match.

Shreyas Iyer was the costliest buy for the Punjab Kings, as he is likely to captain the team this season. Iyer is the most consistent batsman in this team and hence our choice for the next match.