Encounter against Punjab Kings today: Titans look to forget Rinku's onslaught

Mohali: Defending champions Gujarat Titans, smarting from Rinku Singh's last-over blitzkrieg, would like to forget that nightmarish night and get back to winning ways when they take on gritty Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday. GT had several heroes on that electrifying night, including young Sai Sudarshan, Vijay Shankar and the hat-trick man from Afghanistan Rashid Khan, who led the side in place of unwell Hardik Pandya. But Rinku had other ideas. When the match looked as good as over, the Uttar Pradesh batter pulled the rabbit out of the hat for Kolkata Knight Riders, smashing five maximums in the last over to stun the home team.

That last-ball defeat will hurt GT for years to come but, in the immediate, they would like to forget it and get on with the next game. GT, currently fourth on the table with four points from three games, still have a great chance to top the chart, but for that they will have to collectively come together against PBKS, who are fast emerging as one of the most difficult sides to surmount.

Going by their current form, PBKS' eight-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad could just be an aberration, given the form of their captain Shikhar Dhawan and young left-arm bowler Arshdeep Singh.

Dhawan's innings in Hyderabad on April 9 was a testament to the stalwarts' resilience and his ability to stay composed as wickets fell like ninepins at the other end. His 99 in a losing cause was far bigger and better than playing a winning hand in the match against Rajasthan Royals with an unbeaten 86, or a stroke-filled 40 against KKR.

GT would be wary of Dhawan's form and Hardik would know all too well how the veteran Delhi cricketer would be itching to once again prove himself.