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The 16th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2022 is set to feature the fourth-placed Punjab Kings and the undefeated Gujarat Titans. Titans are the only team in the league who are yet to taste defeat and their encounter against Punjab Kings will be a crucial one as a third consecutive win could definitely make a statement.

While for Mayank Agarwal and Co. a win here could see them leap to jump to the 2nd spot in the points table. The kings come on the back of a thumping victory, they made easy work of the defending champions Chennai Super Kings by winning with a comfortable margin of 54 runs and in the process also bolstered their net run rate.

The Titans on the other hand managed to get the better of the in-form Delhi Capitals by a margin of 14 runs and that was a statement on its own. The side came into the competition as the underdogs as they do not possess an arsenal of big names in their names but have shown us that they do have a winning unit and it could be really interesting how they perform in the future.

We are just over 10 days since the commencement of the 15th edition of the IPL and we already have witnessed some riveting encounters. We expect this encounter to be an edge-of-seat thriller as well. Can Hardik Pandya continue his winning run? Or will the Punjab-based franchise bat the opponents out of the game?

Match timings

Match Toss Time: 19:00 IST (13:30 GMT)

Match Start Time: 19:30 IST (14:00 GMT)

Match Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Head to Head

# This will be the first encounter between the two sides. Punjab Kings have played 3 matches so far, winning two and losing one. The Gujarat Titans are two out of two.

Notable stats

Highest run-getter for PBKS (active): Mayank Agarwal (1354 runs)

Highest wicket-taker for PBKS (active): Arshdeep Singh (32 wickets)

Weather conditions and pitch

PBKS vs GT weather and pitch

Team News

Both the sides are in great shape and there does not seem any reason to fiddle with the combination. The English hard-hitter will have warm the bench once again as the Lankan slogger Banuka Rajapaksha is in exemplary form. Unless and until there are any injuries, the teams are expected to be unchanged.

Probable playing Xl

Punjab Kings (PBKS): Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Odean Smith, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora

Gujarat Titans (GT): Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Aaron, Mohammed Shami

Must-picks

Punjab Kings’ star all-rounder Liam Livingstone reminded everyone about how long he can hit the ball and it definitely was a statement made by the English during the encounter against CSK. Shubman Gill was the stand-out batter for the Titans in their match against Delhi Capitals and when he gets into the groove, he is someone who could be unstoppable. 

IPL veteran Shikhar Dhawan, who is currently the 2nd highest run-getter in the league will once again be in the limelight and he seldom fails to deliver. Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson has showcased some raw pace as always and with 4 wickets to his name in 2 matches played, he is someone who could bolster the fantasy line-up.

PBKS vs GT fantasy team

PBKS vs GT fantasy team
Criciwzz fantasy team

Captain and Vice-captain picks

Liam Livingstone Shubman Gill
Liam Livingstone (C) and Shubman Gill (Vc)

Prediction

Gujurat Titans could have asked for a better start to the debut season and they will be hoping they can continue their impressive run. On the other hand, Punjab Kings barring in the match against KKR have shown great character as well. Out of the Titans are definitely the better bowling unit but the batting of Punjab Kings can beat any opponent hands down. 

However, the debutant Vaibhav Arora impressed everyone with his ability to move the ball and he will once again play a key in this encounter. With ranks of experienced players like Dhawan, Rabada, Chahar, and Agarwal on their side, we expect Punjab Kings to hold the edge in this contest.

Cricwizz predicts Punjab Kings to win match 16 of the IPL 2022

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