IPL 2017 | Preview Match 13: Gujarat Lions vs Rising Pune Supergiant
Powered by the return of Ravindra Jadeja, Gujarat Lions will look to revive their fortunes against a struggling Rising Pune Supergiant in Rajkot today. Meanwhile, for Pune, skipper Steven Smith has recovered from an upset stomach that kept him out of the clash against Delhi Daredevils.
Jadeja joined the team on Wednesday and is expected to play his first game of the season at his home ground after missing the opening two matches of IPL-10 due to a finger injury. While that comes as good news for the Suresh Raina-led franchise, they will, however, continue to miss the services of Dwayne Bravo, who is undergoing rehab for a hamstring niggle.
The biggest problem for the Lions has been their bowling. While Praveen Kumar continues to be economical upfront, others like Dhawal Kulkarni, Manpreet Gony, Tejas Baroka, Basil Thampi and Shivil Kaushik are yet to find their rhythm.
Without Smith Pune were shot out for 108 by Delhi Daredevils. The visitors will also be bolstered by the return of Manoj Tiwary who missed the previous match owing to the passing away of his father.
Head to Head
The two newcomers have met only twice last year with Gujarat prevailing on both occasions.
Last Meeting
Gujarat successfully chased down a target of 196 for a last-ball win.
Predicted XI
GL: Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina (c), Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivil Kaushik, Manpreet Gony
RPS: Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith (capt), Manoj Tiwary, Ben Stokes, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Rajat Bhatia, Deepak Chahar, Adam Zampa, Ashok Dinda, Imran Tahir
Key players:
Ravindra Jadeja (GL): The No 1 Test bowler will look to return to competitive action on a successful note. In his success lies the fortune of the depleted Gujarat attack.
Steve Smith (RPS): Smith’s absence was felt in the game against Daredevils as RPS surrendered to some disciplined bowling by the Zaheer Khan-led team.
Pre-match chatter:
"I think we need to analyse a few areas of our game. I think we need to improve and understand that, 'look your last year was a great season and it is going to take some hard work and effort to repeat that.'" - Brad Hodge.
"I am not bothered about his (Dhoni's) form. He is a class player, and we have just played three games, so he will be fine (with the bat) in the tournament." - Steve Smith
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground, Rajkot
TV Listings: Sony Six HD, Sony Six, Set Max, Sony ESPN
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