It’s going to be a crucial game for the bottom-half-of-the-table teams Kings XI Punjab against Gujarat Lions, who have claimed just three wins out of their 11 matches they have played so far in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017.
Moreover, Gujarat Lions is lacking the sheen this year, as they have lost three matches in a row which further saw their bowlers struggling in the death overs before losing opener Brendon McCullum to a hamstring injury, lately.
Glenn Maxwell led side has played 10 matches in which they won five and lost five respectively to see their points as 10 with the Net run-rate of +0.292.
Both the sides will face-off at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on May 7 (Sunday).
Overview:
Interestingly, as the top of the table is looking enticing, Kings XI Punjab has to win their remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs straightaway with 18 points to their name. The hosts Kings XI added to their positives by winning two matches consecutively – to stay in the hunt of the playoff competition.
Before a game against Royal Challengers, King XI routed Delhi Daredevils by 10 wickets which saw a fifty from Martin Guptill. For Kings, left-arm orthodox spinner Axar Patel and fast bowler Sandeep Sharma scripted the win for their team, as Mohali-based outfit beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 19 runs the other day.
Handy with the bat, all-rounder Patel also scored 38 off 17 balls. His cameo was laced with three boundaries and two massive sixes.
Gujarat Lions, on the other hand, were thrashed by Delhi Daredevils when they set up the target of 209 before Daredevils chased down the in 17.3 overs. Credit goes to Rishabh Pant, who played a blinder (97 off 43 balls), as Sanju Samson blasted 31-ball 61 before Shreyas Iyer and Correy Anderson finished off things in style at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi.
With late resurgence, Daredevils set a task to cut out for opposition bowlers. Interestingly, Gujarat Lions used seven bowlers, who concede around and above the economy of 10.
Tracking The Strength:
With Hashim Amla been among runs for Kings XI Punjab, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha have to contribute well in the remainder of the matches to lend the support to the bowlers, who have the ability to defend the target.
Skipper Maxwell, who didn’t fire this season with much in his bag with the bat, has to play significant by scoring the bulk of runs, as he is doing good as a leader which further received the praise from senior South African batsman Hashim Amla.
The 28-year-old Maxwell is yet to score a fifty in this season while having the highest unbeaten score of 44 against Rising Pune Supergiant which he scored at Indore on April 8, 2017. The off-spinner has also picked five wickets so far in the tournament.
As a combination, the Punjab team is better on paper both with the bat and a ball. For Gujarat Lions, Dinesh Karthik and skipper himself have been among runs, as they failed to leave the impact as a unit to score more points on the table.
Ravindra Jadeja, who was seen as the great prospect for the Lions as the left-arm bowler failed to impress in both departments. Having an ability to flay the opposition bowlers with the likes of Aaron Finch, Dwayne Smith and James Faulkner, the side looked rusty following the seven-wicket loss against resurgent Delhi.
With an inexperienced bowling line-up at their helm, Basil Thampi seemed to leave the mark, but he has to go long a way in order to prove his work especially in the death overs.
Match Prediction:
In head-to-head contests, Kings XI Punjab and Gujarat Lions have played three matches in which Kings XI claimed two wins and Gujarat won one.
Earlier, in this season Kings XI beat Lions by 26 runs after setting the target of 189 in 20 overs. Lions were able to score 162 for seven in the 20 overs at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium in Rajkot.
Both the teams have availed the services of big-hitters and given to the pitch which assists batsmen is expected to be a high-scoring game.
We are expecting 180-plus on this wicket which seems more like a flat-bedded surface.
The team winning the toss is expected to bowl first while considering the fact that dew would come into the place to make things easy for the side batting second. Kings XI Punjab has certainly an advantage over Lions, who can’t be written off, as they have the complete ability to ruin the party for the hosts.
It’s expected Kings XI are likely to emerge as winners in this game.