IPL 10, Match 47, KXIP v GL - Gujarat Lions Predicted XI

Gujarat Lions, led by Suresh Raina have struggled completely this season. The loss against Delhi despite scoring a mammoth 208 summed up their season which has been largely affected due to their poor bowling. Injuries to key players during the tournament has not helped either, Nathu Singh and Brendon McCullum being the latest casualties.

Lions are reeling at the seventh position in the points table with only 3 wins from 11 games. This being the last year of the franchise, they would like to end the tournament on a high by beating or rather say upsetting the other teams who are still in the contention for playoffs.

Depleted lions face Kings XI Punjab in their home ground and would like to play fearlessly as they have nothing to lose now. They have also been reduced to only four overseas players in the squad to choose from. Here we look at the predicted XI of Gujarat Lions:

Openers (Dwayne Smith, Ishan Kishan)

Injury to their most preferred opener Brendon McCullum means Dwayne Smith should continue opening the innings for his team. He is running woefully out of form this season and has been below par with both bat and ball. He would like to give a quick start and solid platform at the top for the middle order to ride with. It will not be easy as the opposition’s in-form seamer Sandeep Sharma has dismissed him twice.

Ishan Kishan has shown glimpses of his talent in this tournament and should return to his opening slot. His hitting when the fielding restrictions are on would add some important runs. He has also been electric in the field and is one of the positives for Lions this season.

Middle Order ( Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Akshdeep Nath)

Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina has tried his best with the bat for Lions by scoring 395 runs and is only third in highest run-getters of the season. He has been at his usual best at no 3 in this format since its inception and is the only player to score over 300 runs across all seasons. It would be another day at the office for the skipper as he needs to score heavily at the top only to hope that his bowlers would defend it.

Aaron Finch finally looks settled in the middle order in this lineup after constant shuffling throughout the season. He has played some sparkling knocks coming in at no 4 or 5 and has emerged as a hitter in the death overs. He also scored one of the fastest fifties of the tournament against RCB a few nights ago while chasing 135. But he is due one big innings and would like to play such in Mohali.

Dinesh Karthik, one of the best wicket-keepers going around in the current lot in India. He came into the IPL with some amazing domestic form, but somehow he has not been able to replicate it consistently. He displayed his hitting skills against Delhi in last game by scoring a crucial 65 off just 34 deliveries which included 5 maximums. As a senior player, he needs to take the responsibility again as Lions look to regain some pride and end the tournament positively.

Akshdeep Nath has played only one game this season only to be dismissed for a golden duck. He would be getting another opportunity due to the unavailability of the overseas contingent. This is the great chance though for the youngster to showcase his talent and gain some confidence at the highest level.

All-Rounders (James Faulkner, Ravindra Jadeja)

One of the best death bowlers of this generation, James Faulkner, has looked out of touch this year and has leaked runs at 9.30 runs per over. He has also picked only 4 wickets in the 5 matches he has played which is one of the reasons for Lions to fail. The performance also might be the result of the uncertainty of his place in the side. Remaining 3 matches presents him an opportunity to improve and contribute with not and ball as his place in the side is a sure thing.

Ravindra Jadeja was one of the best bowlers for India in the long and grueling home season. But he has been utterly disappointing for the franchise. He has conceded a lot of runs whenever he has bowled and has scored very few runs with the bat. His fielding has been the huge advantage for the side though which helped Gujarat tie the game against the table toppers Mumbai Indians. It’s time for him to deliver for his side now and be back in form.

Bowlers ( Basil Thampi, Pradeep Sangwan, Ankit Soni)

Gujarat Lions have done a huge favor to India’s limited bowling resources by unleashing fiercely talented Basil Thampi. He has bowled most Yorkers (20) than any bowlers in this 6-week long tournament. He has picked up 9 wickets so far at an economy rate of 9 which is understandable as he has been bowling all the difficult overs for his side. Throughout the season he has improved in every match and has looked more confident than ever. Thampi would just like to continue what he has been doing all season and hope for the best.

Pradeep Sangwan got his first game to play only in the second half of this IPL and he clicked straight away. He hurried batsmen like Rahane and Smith with his pace, swing, and bounce. He would be key lions’ fortunes as next game is in Mohali where the ball does a bit under the lights.

Ankit Soni joined the squad as a replacement to Shivil Kaushik and has played almost every game since then. Apart from last game he has been economical whenever the bowl was thrown at him by his captain. He has shown amazing control over the ball which has tied down the batsmen more often than not. He would like to continue his performance and impress as he has done so far in the tournament.

As Gujarat Lions are plagued with so many injuries, there is every possibility they might play with only three overseas players given that Chirag Suri from UAE is an opener and he has no experience of playing T20.