IPL 2022: Predicting the top 3 run-scorers in the GT vs PBKS match

The 48th match of IPL 2022 will see table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) lock horns with the eighth-placed Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, 3 May. While GT are riding high on confidence with eight wins from nine games, PBKS have blown hot and gold with just four wins out of nine.

The two teams played out a humdinger at the Brabourne Stadium earlier in the season. Chasing Punjab's 189/9, Gujarat needed 12 off the last two deliveries, with Rahul Tewatia sealing the deal with two maximums off Odean Smith's bowling.

While the surface in Navi Mumbai has shown a two-paced nature in recent times, the latest fixture here between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) did witness the onset of dew. Either way, batters from both Punjab and Gujarat will have their task cut out in putting their team on the right path tonight.

On that note, we will try to predict the three highest run-scorers from tonight's IPL 2022 clash.

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#1 Shubman Gill - GT's batting lynchpin

After a couple of sensational knocks earlier in the season, Shubman Gill's form tapered off. That said, there is no denial that he remains the most pivotal cog in the GT batting lineup.

With Wriddhiman Saha getting into good rhythm and helping the team off to brisk starts, it might just free up Gill to play the long innings. His talent and skillset need no restatement, and the encore of the 96 he struck against PBKS the last time these two teams met will augur well for his team.

In the last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Gill got out just as he started to switch gears. A big knock should be around the corner and tonight could well be the night for the batting prodigy. After all, he is one of the finer players of spin going around and the conditions in Navi Mumbai shouldn't stand in his way.

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#2 Shikhar Dhawan - PBKS' leading run-scorer this season

Despite blowing hot and cold, Shikhar Dhawan remains PBKS' leading run-scorer in IPL 2022. With 307 runs at a strike-rate of 126.33, Dhawan has got off to a number of starts while also pocketing a couple of half-centuries.

When in full flow, it's tough to find a batter as fluent as Dhawan. In a must-win clash for PBKS, the southpaw will have to step up and do the needful against a quality GT bowling unit. More so, with skipper Mayank Agarwal and Jonny Bairstow both struggling for runs.

Both of Dhawan's half-centuries this season have come on slightly two-paced surfaces, with the left-hander batting long and deep into the innings. Given that we could see similar conditions tonight, batting will get tougher for the new batter and Dhawan could take a similar route again.

Expect the veteran, who recently became just the second batter to amass 6000 IPL runs, to step up against GT, just when PBKS needs him the most.

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#3 Hardik Pandya

GT skipper Hardik Pandya has batted higher up the order than usual and the move has paid rich dividends for the IPL debutants. Fifth on the run-scorers' list with 308 runs, Pandya has looked as solid as he ever has with the bat in hand and has been the Titans' guiding force.

He has already scored three half-centuries and looks set to add to his tally tonight. While the challenge of facing the velocity of Kagiso Rabada remains, PBKS have used two overs of the South African in the powerplay, meaning that Pandya may not have to deal with much of that.

Against the crafty leg-spin of Rahul Chahar, though, Pandya will have a major role to play. The two have spent four years at MI and would have faced each other on multiple occasions in the nets. The GT skipper is one of the better players of spin doing the rounds as well, so expect him to come up trumps with another substantial contribution tonight.