IPL 2017 Preview Match 6 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Lions

This game, however, will not be played on the same pitch used for the Bangalore game, where the ball came on nicely to the bat making life difficult for the quicker bowlers. In the last eight matches at the venue, fast bowlers have picked up 66 wickets at an average of 27.39 with an economy of 7.82 which is an astronomical contrast to the spinners, who have picked up just 10 wickets at 54.3 with an economy rate of 7.72. The nature of the wicket may go against the Gujarat team as the hosts have a very potent pace-bowling attack. 

Hyderabad also have a strong batting line-up to back up their bowling as they showed by posting 207 against Bangalore, with Yuvraj Singh and Moises Henriques smashing half-centuries and Shikhar Dhawan making a useful 40. Gujarat, too, put up a strong show with the bat in the match against Kolkata, thanks to Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 68 and Dinesh Karthik’s quick fire 47, but their bowling unit, in the absence of Dwyane Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja, was filled with inexperienced domestic bowlers, who were torn apart by Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir.

Head to Head

Hyderabad has a clean slate over Gujarat Lions by winning all three head to head encounters. The defending champions the only side in the league that Lions haven’t beaten at least once. 

Last meeting

The two teams last played against each other in the second qualifying final of the last edition, in which Hyderabad prevailed over the new entrants by four wickets to book a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Predicted XI

Sunrisers Hyderabad:  David Warner (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques, Yuvraj Singh, Deepak Hooda, Ben Cutting, Naman Ojha (wk), Bipul Sharma, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra

Gujarat Lions: Brendon McCullum, Jason Roy, Suresh Raina (capt), Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik (wk), James Faulkner, Shubham Agarwal, Praveen Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shadab Jakati

Key players

David Warner: The second highest run-getter of the last edition couldn’t play a pivotal part in team’s win against Bangalore, but the flashy southpaw may eye the fast track of Uppal to regain his form against the inexperienced bowling attack of the Lions.

Suresh Raina: The Gujarat captain made an authoritative 68 in the first game, showing signs of regaining form. In the IPL, Raina has always been a destructive batter and if he can do well, then the signs are ominous for the hosts.  

What they said 

“We'll have to see who they go with. They mixed and matched last year. They are without Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) this year. He's one of their main containers in the middle and takes wickets. I'm not sure if Dwayne Bravo is fit,” Warner said on the eve of the game.

Time: 4 PM IST

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal

TV Listings: Sony Six HD, Sony Six, Set Max, Sony ESPN