GT vs PBKS / Gujarat won the toss and invited Punjab to bat- see the playing 11 of both the teams

The 5th match of IPL-18 is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans (GT) won the toss and chose to bowl. Captain Shubman Gill cited the effect of dew as the reason. Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer also expressed his desire to bowl first.

GT vs PBKS: The 5th match of the 18th edition of IPL 2025 is being played between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Toss decision and captains' opinion

Gujarat captain Shubman Gill said that there is an effect of dew on this ground, which can make batting easier in the second innings. For this reason he decided to bowl first. Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer also said that he also wanted to bowl, but now his team is ready for the challenge.

Gujarat's record at Narendra Modi Stadium

Gujarat Titans have played 16 matches so far at their home ground Narendra Modi Stadium, out of which they have won 9, while lost 7. This is the same ground where Gujarat won their first IPL title by defeating Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in the 2022 season.

Playing XI and team combination

Gujarat Titans have included four fast bowlers and two spinners in their playing XI for this match, which makes it clear that they are coming with a balanced bowling attack. At the same time, Shreyas Iyer, who is captaining Punjab Kings for the first time, has kept three fast bowlers and one main spinner in his team. This indicates that they are relying more on their fast bowlers.

Match strategy and future prospects

Gujarat Titans may get a psychological edge due to their home ground, but Punjab Kings can also pose a strong challenge under the leadership of the new captain. It will be interesting to see what kind of strategy both the teams adopt and which players make significant contributions to their team.

The playing 11 of both the teams is as follows

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sai Sudarshan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, R Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Azmatullah Umarzai, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.