🏏IPL 2025, Match 35:Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals, Ahmedabad. 3.30

🏏IPL 2025,Match 35: Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals, Ahmedabad. 3.30 PM🏏

IPL 2025 is racing along at full throttle, and both Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals are loving the ride. As it stands, they’re sitting pretty near the top of the table, with DC holding the top spot after just one loss this season, and GT close behind with two defeats.

Now, the stage is set for a blockbuster — the No.1 team taking on No.2 in what promises to be a high-stakes afternoon clash. Whoever comes out on top will put one foot firmly ahead in the race for the playoffs and possibly the title.

Delhi Capitals head into this one with confidence sky-high after edging out Rajasthan Royals in a nail-biting Super Over finish.

In a format where batters usually grab the headlines, it was Mitch Starc who flipped the script. The Aussie quick held his nerve, conceding just 20 runs across the final and Super Over combined — a clutch performance that kept DC’s winning streak alive.

Beyond Starc, KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs have been in good nick, while Karun Nair, making his IPL return after three years, has slotted in beautifully and looks ready to make a big impact.

On the other hand, Gujarat Titans will be stepping onto the field after a rare luxury in IPL — a full week’s break. That could be a huge bonus in such a packed season, giving players time to rest, recover, and reset.

But there’s another side to that coin — could the time off-break their rhythm? Before the break, GT looked unstoppable, with Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, and Shubman Gill all piling on the runs. The big question is whether they can pick up where they left off?

Head-to-Head: GT vs DC - Who Holds the Advantage?

GT and DC have had some fierce battles over the years, with GT historically holding the upper hand. With the match being played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, GT will have the home advantage, and their spin attack of Washington Sundar and Sai Kishor could be a major threat on a turning track. Their batting lineup, led by skipper Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and new Joini Josh Buttler, looks solid. On the other hand, DC boasts an explosive batting unit, featuring Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, and Ashutosh Sharma. However, their biggest concern has always been their inconsistent performance and bowling attack, which often struggles in high-scoring encounters. While Mitchel Starc and Kuldeep Yadav add depth, they’ll need to handle GT’s aggressive top order. Given GT’s superior bowling attack and home conditions, they might start as slight favourites. But DC’s firepower makes them dangerous, and if their bowling holds up, an upset could be on the cards. Let’s break down their head-to-head record to see who holds the edge ahead of the IPL 2025 match:

Total Matches Played: 5

GT Wins: 2

DC Wins: 3

Their strategies and team composition may be a stark contrast to each other, but the one thing common to Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals so far this season has been consistency. Nearing the halfway mark of the tournament, DC have five wins while GT have four with both sides having played six games apiece. This fixture, therefore, will officially get both teams to their halfway point in the season.

There has been a slight old-school method to GT's madness. They are a side that's top-heavy and have their bowling as their stronger suit. However, their wins have been evenly bunched, with two each batting first and second. They had strung four wins on the trot before being undone by LSG in Lucknow. Nevertheless, Shubman Gill's side looks a well-rounded outfit with their bowling potency making them a formidable opposition.

GT's batting does depend a lot on Shubman Gill although the skipper hasn't been at his damaging best. The form of Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, though, has covered up for their captain's lack of runs.

The bowling has delivered on a more collective basis with Prasidh Krishna and Mohammad Siraj doing an efficient job. Rashid Khan continues to blow hot and cold but Sai Kishore has stepped up immensely although the latter did get a battering from Nicholas Pooran in the last game.

The Capitals are fresh off a morale-boosting Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals at home. Axar Patel's men have found ways to win games out of nowhere and that makes them a dangerous side. Not that DC don't have firepower in their squad.

Even with Faf du Plessis missing due to injury and Jake Fraser-McGurk misfiring, the batting has responded due to their middle order. KL Rahul has been the standout with able support from the others, notably Tristan Stubbs. They also have the miracle man Ashutosh Sharma who created magic in their tournament opener against LSG.

Like their opponents, DC also have a potent bowling attack that relies a bit more on their world class spin trio. Axar is yet to click full time as a bowler but his left-arm spin has steadily found rhythm, given that he was battling with a finger injury.

Kuldeep Yadav continues to lead the pack and Vipraj Nigam has shown immense promise as well. They should enjoy the large dimensions of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad but a lot of that will also depend on the type of pitch that will be given for this fixture. Both teams are in good form with plenty of quality in their ranks, and it sets up for an evenly fought contest.

When: Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals, April 19th, 3:30 PM IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: Pitches have generally been good for batting. The two red-soil surfaces at this venue saw teams batting posting scores well in excess of 200. Meanwhile, the black soil surface also saw a moderately good total of 196. The bowlers have also had a say, especially on the black soil track.

Head to head: GT 2-3 DC. Nothing much to choose between the sides here as well.

GT vs DC Match Pitch Report:

The Narendra Modi Stadium Stadium in Ahmedabad offers a balanced pitch that challenges both batsmen and bowlers. Early in the match, the surface favors the batsmen, allowing them to play aggressive strokes with good bounce and a solid foundation. A first-innings score between 180-190 runs is generally considered competitive. However, as the game progresses, the pitch tends to slow down, providing assistance to spinners, which can make chasing more difficult. Teams chasing targets around 180-190 runs generally have a fighting chance, but anything above 190-200 can put them under pressure, especially with the slow nature of the pitch in the second innings. Overall, it’s a dynamic surface where both batting and bowling strategies need to adapt to the conditions, and a score around 180+ is often a strong target for the chasing side.

Team watch:

Gujarat Titans

Injury/Unavailability: Kagiso Rabada has still not returned since leaving home for an emergency.

Tactics & matchups: Rashid Khan could prove an important matchup for GT against KL Rahul, with the legspinner having dismissed the batter three times in 47 balls.

Probable XII: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.

Delhi Capitals

Injury/Unavailability: Faf du Plessis's recovery is on the right path and has an outside chance of featuring in this game. There is also an injury cloud over Kuldeep Yadav, although it isn't expected to be serious.

Tactics & matchups: Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will have key roles to play against Jos Buttler, having dismissed the England batter thrice each.

Probable XII: Jake Fraser-McGurk/Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.

Did you know?

- GT openers have added 320 runs in six games (most among all teams) so far this season at an average of 53.33. The DC openers, on the other hand, have added only 126 runs (least among all teams) at an average of 21

- Out of the 26 times that he has batted in the Powerplay, Sai Sudharsan has been dismissed only four times. His average of 105.0 in this phase is the best for any batter in IPL history (Min. 20 innings)

- Jake Fraser-McGurk has survived beyond the Powerplay in only seven of his 29 T20 innings since the conclusion of IPL 2024. He has five single digit scores in this IPL, with a highest of 38

What they said

"Our strike rotation in the middle wasn't as good as we expected and it's something we need to work on. " - Shubman Gill on what went wrong in the batting against LSG.

"As a captain, I have to take care of the team and the atmosphere. But at the same time, it shouldn't appear like I'm taking it lightly. It shouldn't be like, the captain is joking around. But I've drawn that line" - Axar Patel is clear about his methodology as captain.

IPL 2025: GT vs DC, Match 35—Today’s Match Prediction

Most runs

Sai Sudharsan has been the leading run-scorer for Gujarat Titans this season. The left-handed batter is second on the list of leading run-getters of IPL 2025 season. Sudharsan has already scored four half-centuries this season and comes into the game with scored of 82 and 56. With the track historically favoring the batter. Sai Sudharsan will be odds on favorite to end the game as the top scorer based on his current form.

Most wickets

Australian seamer Mitchell Starc has been at his best with the ball during the ongoing season of IPL 2025. Starc bowled well in the final few overs versus RR to help Delhi tie the game and eventually win the game. The 35-year-old has already picked a fifer this season. Starc is a potent threat with the new ball as well as in the death overs and will be the key bowler to watch out for against Gujarat.

Player of the match (POTM) prediction

Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel has been inspirational as a leader and has been able to motivate his team to top of the table. Axar knows the conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium well as this is home ground. The 31-year-old scored quick 34 in the last game and also did reasonably well with the ball. Familiarity with home conditions and his current form in the season could see Axar Patel as one of the top favorites for Man of the Match in the GT vs DC game.

GT vs DC match winner prediction

Match number 35 could see Delhi Capitals as the likely winners because of their overall form this season. Barring the loss to Mumbai Indians by 12 runs, Delhi have been consistent in the way they have performed so far. Explosive batting and potent bowling line-up makes DC one of the well-rounded sides of the tournament.