Kings XI Punjab face Gujarat Lions in a crucial match regarding the play-off race in IPL 2017.
Gujarat Lions suffered a shocking defeat two days even after posting a mammoth 208 runs on the baord. But they were unable to defend 209 runs against the Delhi Daredevils and lost the match in the 17th over. Already out out of the play-off race, Gujarat will face Kings XI Punjab, who are still in contention for play-off. A win against Gujarat will increase Kings XI’s chances to qualify for playoffs. Last time the two teams met, Kings XI won the contest by 26 runs.
Gujarat Lions are almost out of the play-off race but they can spoil Kings XI’s party and make their road to top four spot a tough one. Gujarat will be performing without any pressure as they have nothing to lose. Even if they win, they will remain seventh in the points table.
Gujarat will be concerned regarding their bowling performances in the previous match. The pace battery including Basil Thampi and Pradeep Sangwan need to comeback strongly and they should look to introduce Ravindra Jadeja after the powerplay overs. Punjab will look to focus on their top order and expect Hashim Amla, Martin Guptill and Shaun Marsh to fire some quick runs.
The Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik will be the players to watch out for, as both of them performed magnificently against the Daredevils with a massive 133-run partnership. For Kings XI, pacer Sandeep Sharma will be the player to watch out for who grabbed three wickets during his magical spell against RCB. Also Axar Patel will remain Punjab’s trump card who can be destructive on his day from both, bat and ball.
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