The two new teams of last season, Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions are set for an important encounter at PCA Stadium on Monday. RPS are playing some wonderful cricket, and Gujarat Lions need their players to click in all departments to beat the home side.
Here is how the IPL 2017 Match 39 could go
If RPS bat first
Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi start their innings brightly, and for a change it is the former, who is in charge, dealing in boundaries. Tripathy also joins in, and the pair score 58 runs in the first six overs.
They are playing the GL bowlers with ease, and Tripathi seems to be in a hurry to score quick runs. The opener is dismissed after playing too many shots. Smith hits his first for a boundary and Rahane-Smith just take singles and hits an occasional boundary till the 12th over.
Both the players cut loose at the same time, and it is raining boundaries as RPS reaches score 135 in 16 overs. Though Rahane is gone, MS Dhoni joins in and starts with a couple of fours before getting out for 10 runs. Rahane is also out, but the new pair of Manoj Tiwary and Dan Christian power RPS to 179 runs in 20 overs.
It is Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith. The pair only knows one way of batting and they attack in the first six overs, scoring 62 runs. Imran Tahir is introduced in the seventh over, and the leggie sends both the players back in his first over. Suresh Raina also falls shortly in the ninth over.
These three quick wickets have invited pressure on Aaron Finch and Dinesh Karthik, the latter is out in the 12th over. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Finch might be afraid that he has to do it all alone, and he hit three straight sixes. There is some respite for the visitors, but he falls immediately in the 17th over.
After Finch is gone, no GL batsmen impress as they lose the match by 15 runs.
If GL bat first
McCullum is on fire, but Smith does not make any impact, goes for 15 runs only. McCullum and Finch are tearing apart the RPS bowlers. They score 68 in the first six overs. The duo completes GL's 100 runs too in the 10th over.
There is a sudden collapse, and McCullum, Raina and Ishan Kishan are gone within a space of three overs. Finch and Karthik handle the situation, and the two players play an important role to help their team cross 175 runs. They score 179 runs.
Rahane is gone in the first over. Things could not have been any worse for RPS, but in-form players Tripathi and Rahane are striking it well. They score 49 runs in the first six overs. There is a lull phase for the next three overs, but Smith cuts loose to score runs in boundaries. He reaches his half-century too, but Tripathy is gone.
Dhoni joins Smith, and the Indian player, as usual, starts off slowly. The required rate is climbing and Smith is also out. Dhoni is the man, one feels. They need 31 runs from last two overs. Christian starts with a six, and then a four, but is dismissed. Tiwary cannot do much, just two couples.
Dhoni is facing the last over, and RPS need 17 runs to win. The former RPS skipper hits three fours and a straight six to win the match in style.
