On Tuesday, March 25, the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will kick off their Indian Premier League 2025 campaigns in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. In 2024, both teams had mediocre seasons and were in the league’s bottom three.
At the mega auction, both clubs were quite active and made a number of significant acquisitions. Shreyas Iyer, who had guided KKR to the 2024 championship, was acquired by PBKS. Along with Yuzvendra Chahal, the league’s all-time leading wicket-taker, they also welcomed back former players Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Punjab team also hired Ricky Ponting as head coach. They are still waiting for a title after losing out on their 2014 Cinderella run.
In contrast, the Gujarat Titans kept the most of their Indian core from the previous season and added some impressive additions in the form of Gerald Coetzee, Glenn Phillips, Mohammed Siraj, Jos Buttler, and Kagiso Rabada. In a stadium that has largely favored them since their founding as a team in 2022, the Shubman Gill-led team, which also has players like Rashid Khan, will be hoping to begin the season with a victory.
IPL Stats and Records at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Like most places, chasing is still a preferred option at Motera. The average first innings total is on the higher side, with 172.
| Matches Played | 36 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 15 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 20 |
| Matches With No Result | 0 |
| Matches Tied | 1 |
| Average First Innings Score | 172 |
| Highest Team Total | 233 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased | 205 |
Key Player Battles in GT vs PBKS, Match 5 of IPL 2025
Shubman Gill vs Arshdeep Singh
This battle in the powerplay could decide the early momentum for either team, especially at a venue where Gill likes to run away with it. So far in the IPL, Gill has scored 64 runs from 51 balls against India’s highest T20I wicket-taker at a strike rate of 125.49. Arshdeep has gotten the better of India’s ODI vice-captain just once, and hence the batting average in this battle is a whopping 64.00.
Shreyas Iyer vs Rashid Khan
PBKS’ new skipper has always had a reputation of being one of the best players of spin in the world at the moment. And to his credit, he has managed to keep the highest wicket taker of all-time in T20s at bay for the most part. Against Rashid in IPL, Shreyas has made 83 runs in 77 balls while being dismissed twice for an average of 41.50 and strike rate of 107.79.
India
