IPL match preview: Punjab Kings v Gujarat Titans

The Punjab Kings will go into this match in the wake of defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, while the Gujarat Titans are still smarting from their high-scoring loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Which of the two losing teams will bounce back here?

The fixture will take place in Mohali, which hasn't hosted a game in the IPL for more than 10 days. The pitch should be well rested, which should translate to plenty of runs and a particularly tough contest for the bowlers.

Gujarat have plenty of power-packed batting resources, but it's their bowling that was shown up against the Knight Riders. Rashid Khan took a hat-trick, but the support around the stand-in Titans captain was severely lacking. Instant improvement is needed.

Punjab have the 2023 IPL's leading run-scorer in Shikhar Dhawan. He hit a near century in defeat to Hyderabad, but showed just why the Kings have put him in charge of the squad and the chase for big, quick runs at the top of the order.

The Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans beat each other once in the 2022 IPL. Let's see who takes the lead in their third meeting.

Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis is a big asset for Punjab. He is masterfully accurate with his yorkers and has some clever slower variations, too. Ellis could successfully combat an opposition order looking for weak length and predictable pace.

Titans all-rounder Hardik Pandya missed the match against KKR. He was ill, but should recover in time to return to the captaincy here. Gujarat need Pandya to balance the XI with bat and ball - and, of course, bring plenty of experience to the unit. 

The defeat to the Knight Riders was possibly a blip in the Titans' radar, which is firmly fixed on a successful title defence. They should bounce back against Punjab, who have blown hot and cold this IPL season so far.