IPL Match Prediction: Debutants Lions likely to kickoff their IPL campaign with a bang against Punjab

DEBUTANTS GUJARAT LIONS will play their first match of the IPL against the Kings XI Punjab in Mohali later in the evening. The Lions had a successful outing in the players’ auction early in the year and have managed to pick some high-profile batsmen and all-rounders in their ranks. 

The Gujarat team will be led by Indian batsman Suresh Raina, who also happens to be of the leading batsmen in the history of the IPL. The Lions also have the liberty of unleashing the devastating, former CSK openers in Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum. Furthermore, match-winning all-rounders such as Dwayne Bravo and James Faulkner provide the extra cushioning for the newcomers. 

On the other hand, the hosts have once again stuck to their policy in retaining their core team. That said, the release of their former skipper George Bailey certainly came as a shock to many. And, for the current season, South African David Miller has been appointed as the new captain. But be that as it may, after a torrid season in 2015, the Kings XI will be desperate to make amends and will be keen on getting off to a winning start in front of their home fans. 

Pitch and conditions: The wicket at Mohali might favour the seamers initially, but has always played friendly to the batsmen. Even in the recently concluded WT20, we saw the some decent totals being put on the board. There is no real threat of rain and it will be interesting to see what the captains do at the toss. That said, the Kings XI normally back themselves to chase down the target. 

For the Punjab team, Aussie opener Shaun Marsh will open the innings with India’s Murali Vijay and the likes of big hitters in David Miller and Glenn Maxwell will bat down the order. On the bowling front, Mitch Johnson, Sandeep and Mohit Sharma will lead the attack. Meanwhile, Axar Patel is slated to be the only spinner. 

On the other hand, the Lions have a power-packed batting line-up with a bunch of impact players. However, it’s their bowling that could come under some pressure. Indian seamers, Dhawal Kulkarni and Praveen Kumar will operate with the new ball. As far as spin goes, Ravindra Jadeja and the leggie Praveen Tambe will shoulder the responsibility. 

While Punjab have little worries in picking their four overseas players, the Lions will have some headache deciding theirs. Former Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum and West Indies “Champion” Bravo are sure to make the cut. Meanwhile, opener Aaron Finch, Smith, Faulkner and South African pacer Dale Steyn will compete for the other two spots. Our gut feel is that Steyn and Finch could miss out. 

Regardless of which foreigner plays, there is clearly more firepower in the Lions’ line-up as compared to the hosts. Furthermore, the Lions have plenty of experienced players, who have played in the IPL before. While Punjab might be confident of getting on the points table playing at home, debutants Gujarat are likely to kick off their IPL campaign with a bang.