IPL-10 3rd match preview GL vs KKR Rajkot

Preview:

The first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL), for a team, is quite an event. Having assembled more than two weeks in advance, players are itching to get on with it. The squad is in place, strategies formed; it's now time to test them. The ultimate prize is still more than a month away, but in order to get there, a lot of work needs to be done; the grind they've all been waiting for, starts now.

The 14 games the teams will play will see their fortunes soar and dip and in a long tournament like the IPL. A good start, on most occasions, holds the team is good stead. After all, it's not for nothing they say well begun is job half done.

Tell that to Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders, who will take on each other in the third match of the tenth edition of the tournament, and they will be ready to counter the argument. Knight Riders, for two seasons now, have failed to make their starts count. Lions, on the other hand, topped the table last season and still crashed out of the tournament losing momentum in the back half. And hence, while a good start is crucial to the campaign, sustaining momentum is more important and that's what these two teams will focus on this time.

Even though both teams have been hit with one or two injuries, they will consider themselves fortunate that they don't find themselves handcuffed like Royal Challengers Bangalore did despite missing key players for their initial few matches. Lions will have to wait for both Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo to recover from their injuries while the Knight Riders will have to wait for Umesh Yadav to recover from a sore hip. They will also have to wait for Rovman Powell, who will join the squad after the first three matches after being picked in the West Indies One-Day International squad.

Absence of Powell though shouldn't be a concern for Gautam Gambhir and the think-tank as they are banking on Chris Woakes as their front-line all-rounder. What will also please the team management is their away record. In the last season, Knight Riders stayed in contention solely because they did well in their away games. Four wins from seven away games helped them recover from four losses at the Eden Gardens. With the core already in place, it'll be important they hit the straps right away and have a positive start in the tournament.

Lions, on first look, appear top heavy for the second time in row. While they bought a number of bowlers in the auction, with the likes of Nathu Singh, Munaf Patel, Basil Thampi and others, they are missing a gun bowler. And, as expected, the onus will be again on Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivil Kaushik and James Faulkner to shoulder the bowling responsibilities.

They added Jason Roy, the aggressive England opener, to their squad despite having Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith and Aaron Finch in their ranks. What could work against Roy is his weakness against spin. In the limited-overs series in India, Jadeja, Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal had him searching for answers even when he was able to flay the pacers with ease. So it'll be interesting to see if they do decide to go in with him in the first clash.

Lions won just 17 per cent of their matches batting first, leaving a serious question mark on their ability to set a target. However, they'll bank on home advantage and a power-packed batting attack to challenge a Knight Riders bowling line-up that has a lot of variety.

In the last season, Lions leaked at least 160 runs per game on average while Knight Riders had the worst economy rate in the death overs. Needless to say, more than the batsmen, it'll be a battle of which bowling unit does better.

History:

Lions have proved too strong as far as the Knight Riders are concerned. The two teams have met twice with Suresh Raina and Co. winning both games. Knight Riders had little answers to the Lions bowling last time around and were dismissed for modest score on both occasions in Kolkata and Kanpur. Lions won the first contest by five wickets before registering a six-wicket win in the second meeting.

When: Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders, April 7, 08:00 PM IST

Where: Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground, Rajkot

What to expect: A high-scoring game is on the cards with not much help for the bowlers from the track. An 8 pm start means players, fans and those involved can expect slightly cooler temperatures in the mid 30s.

Team News:

Gujarat Lions: Expect the hosts to stick to what worked for them last time around. And that'll mean Roy will have to wait for his opportunity while James Faulkner will walk into the playing XI as the all-rounder. In the absence of Jadeja, the new recruits too have the opportunity of getting a game.

Probable XI: Aaron Finch, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina (capt), Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ishan Kishan, James Faulkner, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivil Kaushik, Shahdab Jakati/Nathu Singh.

Kolkata Knight Riders: They added Trent Boult to their squad this time to improve their death bowling and expect the New Zealand pacer to play a big role. With Shakib al Hasan, who is in Sri Lanka for the final Twenty20 International against the hosts, yet to join, it becomes a very straightforward choice for the visitors on which four overseas players they want to play.

Probable XI: Robin Uthappa (wk), Gautam Gambhir (capt), Manish Pandey, Chris Lynn, Yusuf Pathan, Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Woakes, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Trent Boult, Kuldeep Yadav.