IPL 2017 | Match 53 Preview: Gujarat Lions vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

05/12/2017

Gujarat Lions will be looking to dent defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad’s chances of making the playoffs when the two sides meet at the Green Park in Kanpur this evening. Gujarat are out of the reckoning and will aim to restore some of their lost pride in front of their home fans.

Hyderabad requireto win what is their last preliminary match to have any chances of reaching the last four.

Head to head:

Hyderabad lead 3-0.

Last Meeting:

Chasing a modest 135, David Warner (76*) and Moises Henriques (52*) ensured a crushing nine-wicket victory for the defending champions earlier this season.

Fan Predictions: As part of the preview, we bring to you fan predictions for the talking points of the game. The predictions are sourced from the newest fantasy game on the block – Nostragamus. If you want to make your predictions and win prizes, click here.

Who will win?

A. GL B. SRH

SRH holds an advantage of 3-0 in the 3 Head to Head games played between these 2 sides in the IPL so far. Plus, in IPL 2017, SRH have won 7 and lost 5 whereas GL has won 4 and lost 9. It is a must win match for SRH as they have to cement their playoff spot as RPS and KXIP are breathing down their neck to get a playoff spot while GL is only playing for pride as they are out of contention to reach the playoffs. SRH have won 3 in the last 5 matches they have played whereas GL has won only 1 in the last 5 matches they have played. Also, SRH is coming off from a victory but GL is coming off from a loss. With a solid bowling attack and good batting unit, SRH is more likely to win this contest. Hence we predict SRH to win this fixture.

Fans verdict: The fans are with us on this one, as 69% think SRH will win.

Who will score more runs?

A. Raina B. Dhawan

In IPL 2017, Raina has scored 440 runs at an average of 44 whereas Dhawan has scored 450 runs at an average of 41. Plus, batting average in Head to Head games: Raina - 35.5 and Dhawan - 54.5. Raina's scores in the last 5 matches are 6, 39, 77, 8 and 1 whereas as Dhawan's score in the last 5 matches are 62*, 19, 28, 29 and 77. Clearly, Dhawan seems to be in a better form than Raina. Hence we predict Dhawan to outscore Raina in this fixture.

Fans verdict: The fans are with us on this one, as 52% think Dhawan will win this contest.

Predicted XI:

Gujarat Lions: Dwayne Smith, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina (C), Dinesh Karthik (wK), Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Andrew Tye, James Faulkner, Dhawal Kulkarni, Praveen Kumar, Basil Thampi.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Moises Henriques, Yuvraj Singh, Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha (w), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Bipul Sharma.

Key Players:

Suresh Raina (GL): The Gujarat skipper has already piled up 440 runs and will be looking to end the season on a winning note.

David Warner (SRH): With 535 runs, Warner is the highest run-getter in IPL-10 and the Hyderabad skipper is eyeing a playoff spot.

Pre-Match Chatter:

"We are here to win the game and we have the mindset to do that. The balance of the team has been very nice. It's great to see Siddharth Kaul doing well. He's getting the fruits of his hard work," SRH coach Tom Moody.

Time: 4 PM

Venue: Green Park, Kanpur.

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