On Wednesday, two teams out of contention for a spot in the Playoffs will take to the field at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions will square off in what promises to be an interesting game.
The Daredevils were dented a blow on Tuesday when three of their players- Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada and Angelo Mathews all leaving on Tuesday, meaning that they will now use most of their unused players for the game on Wednesday.
What it also means is that the Indian players will now be under even more pressure to deliver and the likes of Rishab Pant, Sanju Samson and Karun Nair to step up to the plate and deliver. The absence of a bulk of foreign players would also mean that Ben Hilfenhaus, roped in as a replacement for JP Duminy at the start of the season, could get his first game for his new franchise.
The Daredevils will look to put in a much better batting performance than the game against the Mumbai Indians, where they were bundled out for 67.
On the other hand, the Gujarat Lions will be coming into this game with some confidence under their belt after chasing a tall score of 189 against the Kings XI Punjab, but their biggest issue is now the combination.
With most of their star foreign players out, like the Daredevils, the Lions will also depend on the Indian players to get the job, the likes of Suresh Raina and co. Dwayne Smith, who had a fine outing with the bat in the last game will also have to once again step up to the plate.
Kanpur hosted two matches in the last season, both of which the Lions won. One proved to be a low-scoring affair while the other was a high scoring game and on both instances, the team batting second won the gam, so the teams could keep this stat in mind when they take the field on Wednesday.
Prediction
If DD bat first: 160+
The Daredevils boast of a good batting line-up that has the potential to post a good score on the board. Pant will hold the key and it will be interesting to see where he bats. At 3, he has attained most success and perhaps, the Daredevils would do well to make him bat there again.
If GL bat first : 160+
The Lions will depend upon Smith and Raina for the runs. The left-hander, who was not picked in the Champions Trophy squad on Monday, will look to make a point on Wednesday by making a big score.
Prediction: It really is a tough contest to predict a winner, but because they have a better bowling attack, the Gujarat Lions should start favourites.
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