It’s the last game of the season for the Gujarat Lions, who have experienced a poor IPL 2017 after having shown a lot of promise in the tournament last year (they finished as table toppers then). Now in the seventh spot, they will be up against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will aim to seal a playoff berth with a win.
Also read: GL vs SRH Match Prediction: Who will win today's match between Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad
Here’s a look at the probable lineup of the Gujarat team:
Dwayne SmithHaving struggled for form throughout the tournament, the West Indian finally got going with a 74 against the Kings XI, but could not carry the form into the Delhi game. He would wish to finish the tournament off with a bang, having recently retired from international cricket.
Ishan KishanA promotion up the order has worked wonders for Kishan, who has converted his potential into a string of useful scores for his side. He scored 112 runs in four innings going into the Delhi game, and added a further 34 despite the failure of Dwayne Smith and Suresh Raina around him.
Suresh RainaA Team India recall to the Champions Trophy has been lost, but Suresh Raina, being the hard worker he is, would have pushed the disappointment behind to start off on a fresh note. He couldn’t get going against Delhi, falling for just six runs.
Dinesh KarthikHaving performed superbly in the domestic circuit, Karthik would have pushed for an India recall after scoring runs at an average of 40 this season. However, his performances have been unnoticed because of his team’s poor outings. He scored a fluent 40 against the DD side to take his team to 195.
Aaron FinchThe swashbuckling Australian scored a whirlwind 69 off just 39 balls to rocket Lions to score of 195 against the Daredevils in the previous game. He would have wanted to contribute more than just two fifties for the Lions this year, but the constant shuffling in the batting order failed to provide him any consistency.
Ravindra JadejaThe southpaw has been a livewire on the field, effecting two run outs in the previous game. His average with the bat has been in the mid 30s, but he has not been able to reprise the role of the finisher properly.
With the ball, Jadeja has encountered a lull, picking up just five wickets from 11 games, and would want to come up with a match-winning performance in the lead up to the Champions Trophy.
James FaulknerThe absence of other foreigners in the line-up has meant that Faulkner has got a long rope. He was taken to the cleaners against the Kings XI Punjab, and encountered a similar fate against the Daredevils, where he gave away 39 runs, but picked up two wickets.
Dhawal KulkarniOverlooked for most part of the season, Kulkarni ha made a comeback into the team after the likes of Manpreet Gony and Munaf Patel looked off colour in the limited opportunities they got. Against the Daredevils, he gave away 30 runs and picked up the wicket of Carlos Brathwaite in the middle of the chase.
Pradeep SangwanThe left arm pacer, in his second innings of the IPL, has looked impressive in patches, mixing it up with spells where he has gone for loads of runs. Against the Daredevils, he gave away 35 runs from three overs, picking up the wicket of Sanju Samson in the second over of the chase.
Basil ThampiOne of the bright young talents to emerge from this season of the IPL, Thampi has showed control over the ball and the ability to bowl yorkers at will. However, his economy has been his biggest evil, as was evident against the Daredevils where he gave away 43 runs in 3.4 overs.
Ankit SoniPlucked out of obscurity after the Lions’ got rid of Shivil Kaushik, the 23-year-old leg spinner went wicketless in the last three games before the Delhi clash. Against the Daredevils, he didn’t get to bowl, as well as bat.
