Published: Apr 20, 2016, 09:22 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 21, 2016, 06:34 PM (IST)
Gujarat Lions (GL) are all set to take on the inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 15 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 at Rajkot. GL are coming with series of win while SRH were relieved to receive their first win against defending champions Mumbai Indians in their previous match. The buzz around IPL is pulling down and at this moment SRH and GL need to give some push to create an enthralling atmosphere. With the way GL have moved on and being a new entrant, they remain clear favourites. As for SRH, it has been handled single-handedly in every game, be it Eoin Morgan in the second match or skipper David Warner against MI in the third outing. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Gujarat Lions vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2016, Match 15 at Rajkot
GL have been facing some changes with skipper Suresh Raina probably missing this outing and Ravindra Jadeja staying out due to his wedding. Just to note, if Raina remains out for this match, it would be the first IPL match he will not be seen in. Since both the teams consist of powerful hitters, here are the possible key clashes to witness between GL and SRH at Rajkot:
Aaron Finch vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Ever since the absence of Ashish Nehra, the load has come up on the pacer Bhuvneshwar. As for Finch, who is known for T20 cricket, has been consistent since the opening match. There has been no moment Finch has disappointed his side. The pacer on the other hand, has not left a single opportunity to disappoint his skipper and has kept delivering until he gets the better of himself. Bhuvneshwar also proved to be the most economical bowler in the match against MI.
Brendon McCullum vs Mustafizur Rahman: Who would say this former Kiwi batsman has retired and lost touch with cricket. McCullum might not have received the start he required, but his partnership along with Finch was lauded against Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) for contributing valuable runs of 49. Mustafizur, who is playing his first edition of IPL, will be happy with his performance so far. Though, SRH have never received any victory, but the pacers have done their job. Mustafizur’s best has been 2 for 26 at end of 4 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) scalping wickets of AB de Villiers and Shane Watson. Indeed, it will be an attention-grabbing moment in the match.
Dinesh Karthik vs Karn Sharma: Dinesh Karthik had a fighting start to his performance in the first game. The second proved to be not so great as he was dismissed early by Krunal Pandya in the second match against MI. Though he had no opportunity to play against RPS, he is one person the team can look up to to get the middle-order work done. Karn Sharma, had a rather very interesting IPL season, scalping no wickets yet. Since Karthik faced difficulty with a spinner, this is an ideal moment for Karn to deliver the right spells. READ: Gujarat Lions (GL) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) IPL 2016 Match 15, Preview: Gujarat eye win against inconsistent Hyderabad
David Warner vs Dhawal Kulkarni: When a pacer and T20 specialist face each other, fireworks are definitely expected. Kulkarni, who started off playing for MI was chosen for GL. His numbers so far in the season shows he has been an asset for them. He was left out in the first and previous outing against RPS, but the second game against MI was perfect grabbing 2 for 19 by the end of 4 overs. As for Warner, the role of skipper and leading from front has been done by this lad. He began his campaign in IPL 2016 with a half-century. His unbeaten 90 against MI led Sunrisers to their first win of the season.
Eoin Morgan vs Pravin Tambe: Nobody can forget Morgan’s 51 from 43 in the middle when the top-order crumbled at the time of need at their home ground against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) earlier in the month. Pravin Tambe has been equally impressive with his best spell coming against MI when he finished with figures of 2 for 12 in 2 overs.
(Shruti Hariharan is Content Writer with CricketCountry. You can follow her on Twitter at @Shruti_2890)
