Gujarat Lions will face off against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Rajkot in the first match scheduled for this Sunday. The Lions had won all their games till they ran into David Warner in the last game. A lacklustre performance in that game has taken a wee bit of sheen off their campaign but they could redeem themselves pretty quickly against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB has had an average start this season but would look to get their campaign up and running after they defeated the Supergiants in Pune on Friday. They would like to be a bit more clinical in their approach, though. With a bit of momentum towards their side, RCB might just pip the home side in this all important game.
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Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium, Rajkot
Match date: April 24, 2016
Match timings: 1600 hrs IST
The wicket should be a bit on the slower side and the spinners should get decent purchase here. The team winning the toss might field first as that has been the standard practice in this tournament.
If Gujarat Lions bat first
Predicted score: 155 plus predicted
The Lions would love their openers to fire this time around. Finch and McCullum would want to put on a substantial opening stand for the likes of Raina and Bravo to capitalise in the middle. We might also see young Akshadeep Nath benched for this game.
The Lions have a top heavy batting line-up just like the Royal Challengers Bangalore and they would want their top three to score at least 75% of their runs. Ravindra Jadeja struggled with the bat in the previous game and would love to contribute more with the willow this time around.
The bowlers struggled big time in the last game against Sunrisers failing to pick up a single wicket. Dale Steyn didn't have a successful game and he might make way for Faulkner. The spinners have to pick the bulk of the wickets at Rajkot. They have some good spinners in their ranks like Jakati, Tambe and more importantly the experienced local boy Ravindra Jadeja. If the spinners don't give away more than six runs an over in their spells then Gujarat Lions will surely have an upper hand.
If Royal Challengers Bangalore bat first
Predicted score: 165 plus predicted
It will be interesting to see whether Chris Gayle will be back for this game. If he's not available then KL Rahul might have to bat in the middle. The top heavy RCB would aim to come out all guns blazing against the home side.
Kohli and De Villiers have shown unbelievable form with Kohli holding the orange cap currently. The likes of Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan will provide the finishing touches with the experienced Shane Watson.
Tabraiz Shamsi, the South African Chinaman, seems to be an excellent replacement for Samuel Badree. Shamsi will surely play a big role with Iqbal Abdullah in the middle overs.
We might also see Harshal Patel, who was smashed by Perera in the slog overs, making way for Yuzvendra Chahal. If Gayle plays, Kane Richardson might miss out. If Stuart Binny can chip in with a wicket or two at the top, it will be a huge bonus for RCB.
Probable winners: Royal Challengers Bangalore
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