A power-packed top order capable of destroying any opposition in the world vs a bowling lineup of spinners and pacers with the ability to run through a batting order – Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders promises to be the proverbial batting vs bowling battle as the IPL 2017 season heads into Match 3 on Friday.
The Gujarat Lions have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to openers, with Suresh Raina and Brad Hodge having the luxury of picking from Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Jason Roy and Aaron Finch.
While Finch is expected to slot into the middle order, in order to bolster that part of the batting lineup a little bit, the remaining three are match-winners on their day, and if the Gujarat Lions find the right combination and consistency from their openers, they could end up topping the IPL points table again.
Where the Gujarat Lions might struggle, is their bowling, at least for the first few matches, with Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo recovering from injuries.
Having said that, though, if a McCullum or a Smith or a Roy catches fire, it won't matter what the bowlers do, because they will win matches on their own.
If there is any bowling lineup capable of stopping the GL batsmen, it is KKR. While the loss of Andre Russell is big, KKR have the fast bowlers – Chris Woakes, Trent Boult and Umesh Yadav, when he returns – to take early wickets and keep the runs down during the end overs, and the spinners capable of sucking the momentum out of an innings.
Spin and choking the batsmen for runs is what's worked so well for KKR in the past, and don't expect that strategy to change for the IPL 2017 season.
However, what could cause KKR problems in the Indian Premier League this campaign is their batting. Much will depend on how their Indian batsmen fare.
Gautam Gambhir is no longer a spring chicken, while Robin Uthappa's powers seem to be waning as well, although, both these batsmen always seem to have an extra reserve for the IPL.
Manish Pandey needs to up the match-winners role, while Yusuf Pathan and Suryakumar Yadav will be expected to handle the pressure, be that while coming in during the second half of the innings or when plenty of wickets have fallen early.
If KKR's batting finds the consistency required over a long IPL season, the two-time champs will turn into proper contenders for the title again.
When and where to watch live
GL vs KKR is set to begin at 8pm IST (3.30pm BST). Live Streaming and TV information is below.
India: TV: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD (Tamil, Telugu, Bengali), Sony Max (Hindi). Live Streaming: Hotstar.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 2. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
