3 player battles to watch out for in GT vs SRH, Match 12 of IPL 2024 ft. Rashid Khan vs Heinrich Klaasen

Gujarat Titans (GT) will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in match number 12 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2024).

The afternoon contest kicks off at 3:30 PM (IST). The two sides have squared off thrice in the IPL, with Gujarat winning twice while Hyderabad have a solitary win to their name.

The Shubman Gill-led Gujarat side began their campaign with a six-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) at home. However, they suffered a 63-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the subsequent fixture.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, suffered a narrow four-run loss against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2024 opener. They bounced back in stunning fashion, registering a record-breaking 277-run total against Mumbai and winning the game by 31 runs to get off the mark for the season.

With Gujarat having a home advantage and Hyderabad being high on confidence following their blistering batting performance in their previous outing, an exciting match is on the cards.

Here, we take a look at three matchups that could have a significant impact on the result of the GT vs SRH match.

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Rashid Khan (GT) vs Heinrich Klaasen (SRH)

Heinrich Klaasen was at his explosive best against MI.

Heinrich Klaasen is one of the best players of spin-bowling in white-ball cricket. The South African keeper-batter has been in red-hot form in IPL 2024, registering scores of 63 and 80* in his first two outings.

The swashbuckling batter is capable of single-handedly changing the course of the game, making it crucial for Gujarat to dismiss him early. Shubman Gill's best bet against Klaasen could be Rashid Khan, a proven campaigner in the format.

The two haven't had a full-fledged contest against each other in T20 cricket thus far. Klaasen has scored 24 runs off 18 balls against Rashid's bowling. The Afghan spin wizard is always up for a challenge, and his battle against the SRH star could be one of the biggest talking points of the match.

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Shubman Gill (GT) vs Pat Cummins (SRH)

Shubman Gill has a fantastic record at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

GT skipper Shubman Gill relishes playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In T20 cricket, he averages 75.09 at the venue, having scored 826 runs from 14 matches.

He also has three T20 centuries to his name at the venue. SRH captain Pat Cummins will be well aware that Gill could take the game away if he gets set.

The Aussie pacer would back himself to get the better of his counterpart. Cummins has picked up three wickets from two matches in IPL 2024 at a decent economy rate of 8.37. Gill has just 39 runs to his name from two games, and a big knock against SRH will set the ball rolling for him this season.

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Umesh Yadav (GT) vs Travis Head (SRH)

Travis head in action for SRH.

Gujarat placed a bet on Umesh Yadav's experience, shelling out ₹5.80 crore to acquire his services at the IPL 2024 mini-auction. He has the responsibility of leading GT's pace attack in Mohammed Shami's absence.

It will be important for SRH opener Travis Head to see off Yadav's spell with the new ball, as the seamer has a knack for picking up early wickets. Head made a significant impact on his debut for the Hyderabad-based side, mustering 62 runs off 24 balls.

Yadav's ability to bring the ball back into the left-handed batters could trouble Head. The veteran bowler has dismissed left-handers 45 times in the IPL and has a bowling average of 23.85 against them.