IPL 2017: Gujarat Lions (GL) Predicted XI

MIDDLE ORDERAaron Finch

The IPL has been a game of musical chairs for Finch, who has seen himself jump from Rajasthan Royals to Delhi Daredevils, and then from Pune to Hyderabad and Mumbai. He is currently in his second year with the Lions, having put in a solid performance last year with five fifties. A number of openers in contention allows the versatile Finch to drop one down.

The 30-year old has been the No.1 batsman in the world in T20s, as well as the captain of the Australian T20I side. His explosive hitting is a big plus to the Lions. His overall IPL strike-rate of 125, however, is a tad below what he can offer. A strong season this year might help correct the skewed numbers.

Suresh Raina

Once the lynchpin of the Indian middle order in ODIs, Suresh Raina has had a tough last year. Yet, the hardworking batsman pushed his way back into the Indian T20I side, and starred in the Bengaluru T20I against England, showing what exactly he can offer with a stroke-filled half-century.

The IPL is Suresh Raina’s party: the leading run-getter of the tournament has played in all nine previous seasons, the bulk of it being for the Chennai Super Kings. The captaincy of the Lions was entrusted on him last year, showing how integral he is to the team’s plans. For Raina himself, another good season in the IPL can open doors for an Indian ODI recall, one which could start with the Champions Trophy.

Dinesh Karthik

The mercenary keeps changing teams every season, but has stuck to the Lions for the second season in a row. He had a decent year for the Lions in 2016, scoring more than 300 runs with three fifties to his credit. Yet, given that Karthik is one of the most experienced players of the tournament, more will be expected out of him, for now he is one of the senior players in the team.

His keeping, apart from a few minor blemishes, is clean, and gives the Lions the liberty to include an additional batsman in the team. The versatile batsman can mould his game according to the situation, which is his biggest asset, and can change gears if the team demands. Runs from Karthik at the crucial No.4 position can be a big boost to Lions’ fortunes.