IPL 2016, Match 31, GL vs DD Preview: Will Delhi dare to beat the Lions?

The Gujarat Lions have been in sublime form in VIVO IPL 2016, winning 6 of their 8 games played so far. Their previous encounter against the Kings XI Punjab though was a disappointment, and the Lions will be hoping to bounce back against the in-form Delhi Daredevils. The Lions have consistently failed in the middle order and they will need to find a solution by mixing up their batting order and letting someone like Dwayne Bravo bat at the number 4 position.

The Daredevils beat the Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match by 27 runs and sealed an incredible victory. The players will be extremely confident when they face off against the Lions and will want nothing but a win to finish their first half of the league games. The Daredevils have had their fair share of problems in the batting department as well, with the De Kock failing 3 times after scoring a magnificent century against the Royal Challengers.

The Rajkot wicket has favored the batsmen throughout this season and this game will be no different. The slower bowlers will be the key on this dry pitch with the batsmen not finding it easy to time balls lacking pace.

Match Date and Time: 3 May 2016, 2000 hrs ISTMatch Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot.

Weather:

Temperature: Max 31°c, Min 29°cHumidity: Max 67%Wind: 15 km per hour

Pitch Report: Par-score 150. The spinners will be crucial in deciding the result of the game.

In-Depth Analysis:

The Gujarat Lions have the best opening combination in the form of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum. These two batsmen have been involved in more that 5 fifty-run opening this season and will be the key for the Lions. The middle order has been below par for the Lions, with Skipper Suresh Raina failing to provide the support during the middle overs. He has to step up and make sure he doesn’t lose his wicket and take the responsibility of finishing the innings well.

Wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik certainly has the ability to hit the big shots. The Lions are relying on their experienced batting unit to put up a winning score and give their bowlers a good chance of saving the match. The Caribbean all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has failed miserably with the bat and his lack of support has been a huge concern for the Lions.

The bowling department has been led by Pravin Kumar with the new ball along with Dhawal Kulkarni. The duo has been good with the new ball early on and has picked up wickets regularly. Unorthodox spinner Shivil Kaushik who has been compared to former South African bowler Paul Adams, proved to be the x-factor against the Kings XI Punjab and was difficult to pick for the batsmen. He has been a surprise package this season for the Lions.

The Delhi Daredevils have gelled into a formidable unit and they look set to compete for a place in the play-offs. The Openers have been inconsistent in providing good starts to the Daredevils and have almost always been lacking in the first 10 overs of their innings. Karun Nair put on a great partnership with debutant Sam Billings and they were the reason Daredevils put on a great total. The inclusion of Carlos Brathwaite was a huge decision that paid off for the Daredevils and he will certainly be necessary for boosting their total.

The bowling department needs no change with Zaheer Khan opening the attack with Mohammed Shami. With Amit Mishra in control of the mid overs along with Chris Morris, the Lions will need their batsmen to fire all cylinders.

With spinners dominating on this wicket, Delhi will most probably bring in the South African Imran Tahir to partner with Mishra and they will be the favorites against the Lions.