The 51st game of the IPL will be played between Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders. This will be the first game at Kanpur this season, the newly designated home ground for GL. KKR are placed at Number 2 and GL at number 4 on the points table. KKR have lost 2 of their last 3 games whereas GL after a commanding start has gone off the track a bit and lost 4 of the last 5 games.
See also: GL vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win the match between Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders
Both the Knights and the Lions have 2 matches in hand and thus, the result of this game is going to be vital in the context of the playoff spots. Victories in both games can seal a spot in the top 2 for either of the teams whereas defeats in both might well result in the omission from the playoffs.
Here is the likely team which may represent KKR in the match:
Batting
Opener and skipper Gautam Gambhir has been in a tremendous form in the league and is amongst the top 10 run getters of the tournament. He has amassed 449 runs so far and notched up 5 fifties with 90* being his highest score. His opening partner Robin Uthappa has also played good hands and is the second highest run scorer for KKR after Gambhir with 333 runs. Both have been providing great platforms for the middle and lower orders.
Manish Pandey was out of the side for major part of the league due to illness. But since his return, the middle order has strengthened. He scored a nice half-century in the last game against RCB. Yusuf Pathan has rolled back the clock and showcased what he was always known for. He has been impeccable in finishing the innings. He has been striking at 157 and has won some important games for the team.
Suryakumar Yadav and Shakib Al Hasan haven’t contributed a lot and have only a fifty apiece to their names. Andre Russell though has played some useful fiery innings at the death overs and possesses a strike rate of 165, but due to the injury he picked up in the last game, he will miss out on this crucial encounter. Chris Lynn is expected to replace him as he too is capable of hitting some lusty blows
All-rounders
With the loss of Russell, the onus would be on Shakib to play the all-rounder’s role. He hasn’t done too well with the ball and has picked up only 4 wickets in 8 matches. Yusuf Pathan is the other potential all-rounder but he hasn’t been required in the league so far because of a strong bowling line-up.
Bowling
Russell is the leading wicket taker for them and increases the problem for KKR to replace him. Umesh Yadav might be brought back in place of Ankit Rajpoot as KKR might want a genuine pacer to do the job that Russell has been doing. He has picked up 10 wickets in the 9 games earlier but went for 9 runs an over.
Morne Morkel, Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla have played their parts well and are expected to retain their places. Though Narine hasn’t been that threatening with his remodelled action, but his sheer presence makes it easier for Gambhir.
Probable Playing XI
Gautam Gambhir (c), Robin Uthappa (wk), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav, Morne Morkel
Here's a look at the team which may play for GL on Thursday:
Batting
The openers Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith have been getting the team off to decent starts. Although both haven’t quite matched the standards of their stints from the previous seasons the team has done well enough to stay in the top four or five positions.
McCullum has scored 267 runs in 12 innings and has only one score of above fifty to his name. Smith has 213 runs in 8 innings with 2 fifties. It has been their collective effort that has been effective for the team
Suresh Raina will be back in the side after missing out on the last game. He is expected to replace Akshdeep Nath. He too hasn’t flourished in the league and has managed only one half-century. He has bundled 286 runs in the tournament so far.
He was a premier batsman for CSK and consistently got over 400 runs in previous seasons. He has not been anywhere closer to the typical Raina that we are used to seeing.
Dinesh Karthik has played some important innings and scored 3 fifties so far. Aaron Finch is the leading run scorer for them with 313 runs in 8 innings. He has averaged 52 and scored 4 half-centuries. Their batting line-up is full of international stars and they do need them to score big to ensure a playoff spot.
All-rounders
GL have Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo which are two of the best all-rounders in the world. Jadeja hasn’t done a lot with the bat as well as with the bowl. He has scored 137 runs with the bat and picked up just 6 wickets in 11 games.
Bravo has scalped 12 wickets but has been conceding more than 9 runs an over. With the bat, he has only 71 runs in 11 innings.
Bowling
The new ball bowlers Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni have picked up 7 and 11 wickets respectively. Both have decent economy rates of around 7.5 which is more than acceptable in T20 cricket. They received a hammering at the hands of Kohli and de Villiers in the last game, but have done well at the death overs, especially Praveen Kumar.
Shivil Kaushik has foxed the batsmen at times with his unorthodox action and has best bowling figure of 20/3. Pravin Tambe is the other spinner in the team who can be useful with his leg spin.
Probable Playing XI
Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik(wk), Aaron Finch, Dwayne Bravo, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pravin Tambe, Shivil Kaushik
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