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Preview: Match 15 - GL vs SRH
21 Apr, 2016
Preview: Match 15 - GL vs SRH
21 Apr, 2016
What
Match 15 of VIVO IPL 2016 will see the Gujarat Lions clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The Lions, undefeated so far in the competition, occupied the top spot in the standings before being displaced by the Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday. The Suresh Raina-led team have been on a roll and this match presents the team with an opportunity to get back to the perch of the table. The team is expected to be bolstered by the inclusion of the newly-wed Ravindra Jadeja, who is an important cog in their plans, especially with his left-arm spin.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s campaign didn’t start on a great note as the team lost their first two matches. They were first thrashed by Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore after which they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the David Warner-led side bounced back strongly, defeating the defending champions Mumbai Indians in their third match. Though the team finished on the right side of the result, there is no denying the team will be concerned about the form of Shikhar Dhawan, who has been dismissed for three single-digit scores, and Moises Henriques, who has consumed a lot of deliveries but hasn’t kicked on.
When
21 April 2016, 2000 Hrs IST
Where
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
Weather
Temperature: Max 31°c, Min 27°c
Humidity: Max 48%
Wind: 18kmph
The Protagonists
This will be plenty of exciting players in action in this match. Among the batsmen, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina and David Warner are the ones to look out for, for they can demolish the opposition in a matter of a few minutes. Finch has scored a half-century in each of his three outings this season and has a chance to clinch the Orange Cap; the Australian struggled with what appeared to be cramps in the previous match, and it remains to be seen if it was just that or something more serious. In the SRH camp, Warner can cause plenty of damage; the Australian scored an unbeaten 90 in the previous match – in typical Warner style, and his team will want more of the same from their captain.
On the bowling front, how many runs the teams score in the death overs could possibly determine who emerges on top. SRH’s Mustafizur Rahman has been most impressive; the Bangladesh left-arm quick has impressed, especially while bowing in the death overs. Among the bowlers in the GL line-up, Dwayne Bravo and James Faulkner will be expected to keep things tight at the death.
Trivia
Gujarat Lions have chased targets in all three matches. In two matches their captain Suresh Raina won the toss and opted to chase, while in the other match, Rising Pune Supergiants opted to bat first.
In their three matches so far, not one Gujarat Lions batsman has been bowled. In contrast, the Gujarat Lions bowlers have hit the woodwork on six occasions.
The Gujarat Lions skipper Suresh Raina needs two more runs to reach the 6000-runs milestone in T20 cricket. If he gets to the milestone, he will be the fifth player to get there, and become the youngest – along with David Warner – to get to the milestone.
What Next
Sunrisers Hyderabad head back to Hyderabad for the first of their four back-to-back home matches; their next engagement is against Kings XI Punjab on April 23. On the following day – on April 24 - the Gujarat Lions will play host to the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Rajkot.
