Ahmedabad, 30 May

In a fascinating battle of ideologies, the well-balanced and bold Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have to subdue a phlegmatic Gujarat Titans to lift their second consecutive IPL title here on Sunday.

On paper, the reigning champions are the overwhelming favourites against the 2022 winners because of the fearless, high-risk game that they have been playing in this tournament so far. It had landed them in trouble occasionally but Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, when available, and Venkatesh Iyer have relentlessly pounded the opposition with single-gear batting.

The nature of pitches or oppositions’ bowling strategies have had little effect on their battering ram approach, and no other team has managed to go past 200 as often as they did in this edition of the IPL.

Patidar’s calm approach to captaincy too has added to Royal Challengers’ stability as a team across the last two seasons. He is not as evocative as former leaders Kohli or Faf du Plessis but there is a certain assuredness about the way the 32-year-old does his job, keeping both the superstars and greenhorns in side at ease.

The RCB also have a stingy bowling unit, stifling the rival batters from the power play phase. But the Bhuvneshwar Kumar-led attack will have to be at their absolute best against the in-form Gujarat top-order.

In a tournament where the batters made optimum use of power play scoring over 11 or 12 runs an over, GT openers — skipper Shubhman Gill and Sai Sudharsan — have been happy to maintain a run-rate just above 9. This linear build-up might be a conventional approach to Power Play, but it is partially because GT have a rather soft middle-order and the top three — Gill, Sudharsan and Jos Buttler need to do the heavy lifting.

To their credit, Gill (722, strike-rate: 163), Sudharsan (710, SR: 159) and Buttler (507, SR: 157) have delivered almost consistently. They will have to do the job once again in the match that matters the most, and GT’s home record this season —five wins in seven matches — offers a crumb of comfort as well.

It will be easier said than done as Bhuvneshwar, second in the Purple Cap list with 26 wickets, Josh Hazlewood (13 wickets), Rasikh Salam (16 wickets) and Krunal Pandya (13 wickets) have formed a wily and varied bowling attack for RCB. Not to forget, Pandya senior has also been very handy with the willow.

But in that department the Titans have a slight upper hand.

The Royal Challengers’ batting order gives them an undeniable edge because of its depth and the presence of range-hitters throughout.

But GT’s bowling line-up has the wherewithal to stop the marauding RCB batters, particularly if the Ahmedabad pitch offers grip to them. Kagiso Rabada, the current leader in the Purple Cap race with 28 wickets, Mohammad Siraj, Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, and Prasidh Krishna have given the South African strong support.

Rabada and Siraj have struck an effective combine this season, bowling a chart-topping 165 and 162 dot balls respectively — an indication of their hold over batters even on some benign tracks. The pair has used the hard length to telling effect, depriving the feared six-hitters the much needed space for their golf swing of the bat.

Siraj’s fitness in focus

In that context, Siraj’s fitness will be monitored closely as the pacer needed some medical attention to his shoulder during the Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur on Friday. He bowled a full quota of four overs but the seasoned quick was in visible discomfort, and GT will hope that it is not more than a minor hiccup. But Siraj’s fitness scenario does not really change the on-field equation.

The RCB are favourites in everybody’s book, and this is a certainly final for them to lose.

The Red and Gold brigade will be eager to join Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as the team to bag back-to-back IPL titles, and it is very much in the realm of achievable.

The Titans, however nerveless a side they have been, can only search for that proverbial tripwire in the laneway to deny RCB but it makes this final a riveting possibility.

Match starts at 7.30pm.