The 26th IPL 2025 match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow SuperGiants is not merely a case of team performance — it is also going to feature some nail-biting one-on-one confrontations. The audience had been eager to see how some specific players would face off each other given their previous history. These pivotal contests have the power to alter the direction of the game. Following are the top four player duels that were expected before the match. Top 4 Key Player Battles to Watch in LSG vs GT Sno Players 1 Nicholas Pooran vs Mohammed Siraj 2 David Miller vs Rashid Khan 3 Shardul Thakur vs Shubman Gill 4 Avesh Khan vs Jos Buttler Nicholas Pooran vs Mohammed Siraj Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2022 6 5 0 2 1 0 120.0 - 2023 4 4 1 3 1 0 100.0 4.0 2024 14 7 0 3 0 2 200.0 - Total 24 16 1 8 2 2 150.0 24.0 Nicholas Pooran's record against Mohammed Siraj in the last three seasons of the IPL was positive. In 2022-2024, Pooran made 24 runs in total from just 16 deliveries against Siraj. Pooran had been dismissed once alone, indicating that he played Siraj most of the time confidently. Pooran had hit two fours and two sixes during those matches, and his strike rate remained close to 150, which was remarkable. During 2024, he had made 14 runs on only 7 balls without being dismissed, which indicated his increasing command over this contest. Siraj, however, always seemed to look to bowl at a fast pace and with movement, but Pooran had devised ways to tackle him intelligently. This confrontation between a hostile left-arm batter and a hot-tempered fast bowler is going to be a significant one. Also Read | Virat Kohli Caught in Deep Chat with DC Youngster After RCB-DC Thriller! David Miller vs Rashid Khan Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6S SR Avg 2017 0 3 1 3 0 0 0.0 0.0 2019 6 5 1 3 1 0 120.0 6.0 Total 6 8 2 6 1 0 75.0 3.0 David Miller struggled to deal with Rashid Khan earlier. In the two years that they faced each other — 2017 and 2019 — Rashid got rid of Miller on both occasions. During those games, Miller had only 6 runs to his name from 8 balls and couldn't even rotate the strike. He got just a single boundary and failed to get a single six. Rashid bowled nicely and did not leave any gap for Miller to play without a restriction. Miller's strike rate against Rashid was only 3.0, and his strike rate was low as well, at about 75. Heading into this game, it was obvious that Miller had to find a solution to counter Rashid's sharp spin and variations. This is always going to be a crucial battle, particularly in the middle overs. Also Read | Nicholas Pooran in Red-Hot Form – Can Siraj Stop Him in LSG v GT Clash ? Shardul Thakur vs Shubman Gill Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2019 5 8 1 4 0 0 62.5 5.0 2020 0 2 1 2 0 0 0.0 0.0 2021 7 8 0 3 0 0 87.5 - 2022 18 10 0 2 3 0 180.0 - 2023 6 3 0 0 1 0 200.0 - 2024 8 7 0 3 1 0 114.3 - Total 44 38 2 14 5 0 115.8 22.0 Shardul Thakur and Shubman Gill had battled each other numerous times between 2019 and 2024. Gill had scored a total of 44 runs off 38 balls against Thakur. Thakur had dismissed him twice in those matches. The duels between these two were typically extremely close. Gill never attacked Thakur really hard, as evidenced by his strike rate of approximately 115. He hit no sixes off him but managed to find the boundary five times. Gill was generally cautious when playing against Thakur, and that usually resulted in a close battle. Thakur varied his pace and attempted to outthink Gill, while Gill worked on timing and placement. Their earlier encounters revealed how closely matched they were. Avesh Khan vs Jos Buttler Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2018 34 10 0 2 2 4 340.0 - 2021 1 1 0 0 0 0 100.0 - 2022 0 3 2 3 0 0 0.0 0.0 2023 5 6 0 4 1 0 83.3 - Total 40 20 2 9 3 4 200.0 20.0 Jos Buttler's encounters with Avesh Khan had always been colorful. Buttler had scored 40 runs off only 20 balls during their earlier encounters, which revealed how destructive he could be. He hit four sixes and three fours over Avesh, and his strike rate in this battle was an enormous 200. However, Avesh had the last laugh a couple of times , he got Buttler out twice in four seasons. Avesh countered Buttler's early attempts at domination, but this fight is always on the edge.