Gujarat Lions were one of the standout teams last season, standing atop after the group stages, but things have not gone according to plan in IPL 2017 so far. They have played two matches, outplayed to suffer huge losses, but the Suresh Raina-led side will hope to shine when they host Rising Pune Supergiant in Rajkot on Friday.
Like Gujarat Lions, RPS have also not played great cricket. After starting IPL 2017 with a win against Mumbai Indians, RPS have lost two matches on a trot, against Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils.
With such results behind their back, both Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiant will be keen to come up with better cricket on Friday. They have definitely strengthened their team with RPS skipper Steve Smith set to make a comeback after his injury, while Ravindra Jadeja should also feature for Gujarat Lions, strengthening their batting and bowling department with his all-round skills.
Presence of such players in both the camps should make match 13 of IPL 2017 even more interesting.
However, the Gujarat Lions need to workout some strategy as their bowlers have looked below par, and the batting looks heavy. They need to bring in some balance as they play with four foreign batsmen, thus pressurising the Indian bowlers in the playing XI. The situation is tricky when they have the likes of Aaron Finch, Jason Roy and Brendon McCullum, who are all genuine openers in the playing XI.
Irrespective of which players they pick for the RPS clash, it is imperative that GL bowlers such as Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni come up with a fine display. Agreed, T20 is a batsman's game, but then the bowlers also have to contribute in the win.
As far as the RPS are concerned, they have big names and are a well-balanced unit. However, some of the mega stars including Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni have not shown what they are capable of in IPL 2017.
The team are too much dependent on the batting skills of Smith and Ajinkya Rahane, who are left to do with bulk of the scoring. If both these players fail, it becomes difficult for RPS.
It is time for Dhoni, who has been a wonderful IPL player, to deliver with the bat, especially silence former India captain Sourav Ganguly for his comment on Dhoni not being a good T20 player. Dhoni has the ability to play match-winning innings, and Smith will be keen to see his former leader score big in the contest. Imran Tahir will hold the key for RPS in the bowling department.
RPS have lost two matches on a trot, and one can expect the big game players of RPS to strike in this encounter against Lions, who should improve in all departments to challenge the visitors.
Where to watch live
GL vs RPS is set to begin at 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST). TV and live streaming information is below.
India: TV: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD, Sony Max. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 2. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
Afghanistan: TV: Lemar TV
Bangladesh: TV: Bong BD.
Hong Kong: TV: Now TV.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
