IPL 10: SWOT Analysis of Gujarat Lions

Gujarat Lions made an impressive debut in the previous edition and will be looking forward to their maiden IPL triumph in their last venture before Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royal rejoin in 2018. It was a dream 2016 for the franchise who finished the group stages on the top of the ladder. They played some exceptional cricket throughout the group stages and despite losing 5 matches, they finished at the top with 9 wins from 14 games.

After an impressive group stage where most of the players performed to their potential, Gujarat faltered in the play-off stage where they lost successive matches and were shot out of the tournament. While they lost the Qualifier 1 to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 4 wickets, they were outplayed by eventual champions Hyderabad in the eliminator clash which they won by 4 wickets. They kick off their IPL campaign against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on 7th April and will be hopeful to start off on a winning note.

Strength

The team consists of some exceptional T20 players especially in the batting department who has the ability to smash star-studded bowling lineups all around the stadium. The opening combination might keep chopping and changing throughout the tournament as the top two slot have four foreign contenders with all 4 having the ability to decimate any bowling attacks on their given day.

English batsman Jason Roy who was bought at his base price of Rs. 1 crore might well make his IPL debut in their opening game of the tournament but with the presence of Dwayne Smith and Aaron Finch, the possibility might still look to be a distant one. Brendon McCullum is expected to retain his opening slot throughout the tournament unless there is a dip in form.

Captain Suresh Raina might be the biggest threat for any opposition but given his tumultuous form off late, it remains to be seen how the swashbuckling southpaw responds in a crunch situation. He has arguably been the greatest IPL batsman over the years and he will look to add some more runs to his kitty while playing his last tournament for the Gujarat Lions.

Another India international Dinesh Karthik will be an important cog in the middle order given the terrific form the Tamil Nadu lad has been in. He single handedly took Tamil Nadu to the title triumph in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and looked in ominous touch from the word go. He smashed match-winning centuries in the knockout stage which was instrumental in guiding Tamil Nadu to a tournament win.

With James Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo as the all-rounders in the team, the duo is expected to lend the ideal balance which might be the X factor for Lions going into the tournament. Both Bravo and Faulkner has the ability to bowl some exceptional slower balls and strike the ball out of the park on a consistent basis. Ravindra Jadeja who became the No.1 bowler in Test cricket very recently is also be a part of the squad but is expected to be out for the first two weeks to manage his workload.

Weakness

The major weakness for Gujarat Lions lies in the bowling department. With no frontline bowlers with enough experience around, it might well prove to be the nail in the coffin for Gujarat despite having arguably the best batting line-up in the tournament. The experience of veterans Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel might help but with age being not by their side, it remains to be seen how the duo prepares themselves for the 10th edition of the tournament.

Pradeep Sangwan and Dhawal Kulkarni has the experience of playing in the tournament but given the like of bowling attacks other teams possess, it might well be the weak link for the semi-finalist from the previous year.

In the spin department, Gujarat has the likes of Shivil Kaushik and Shadabh Jakati who despite being left arm bowlers offers variety. While Kaushik is a chinaman bowler, Jakati is a more of a traditional orthodox bowler.

Rookie fast bowler Nathu Singh who made headlines with his raw pace a couple of years back will look to make his mark but given the lack of experience, it will be challenging prospect for him to prove his critics wrong and come out triumphant.

Opportunities

It will be a big opportunity for the Gujarat Lions to claim their maiden IPL title this time around as it will be the final time the franchise will be taking part in the tournament before Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals rejoin from the next year. In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja for the opening two weeks of the tournament, a guy like Shivil Kaushik might get the opportunity to prove his worth in the team with his unorthodox action.

When all the doors were virtually shut for Manpreet Gony, the fast bowler was purchased by Gujarat for his base price of Rs. 30 lakhs. He proved his mettle in the inaugural tournament playing for the Chennai Super Kings and also made his national debut a few days later. He couldn’t sustain his form though and was left out of the national team pretty soon but the year 2017 might well prove to be another vital year for the tall fast bowler.

For 18-year-old Ishan Kishan, he will surely look to gain from the experience of rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of the modern game and make a name for himself in the T20 circuit. He has the ability to clear any boundary ropes and will look to carry on from his rich vein of form in the domestic circuit.

Threats

For the first two weeks of the tournament, Gujarat Lion will be missing the services of No.1 Test bowler Ravindra Jadeja who will be seen in action only after the conclusion of the first two weeks of the tournament.

The left arm tweaker bowled as many as 7000 deliveries during the long home season and it was a much-needed break especially from India’s perspective going into the Champions Trophy in June.

Along with Ravindra Jadeja, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo won’t be available for the first two weeks which will surely give Suresh Raina some headaches for the first few games in the tournament.