IPL 2016 Predicted XI: Gujarat Lions

Gujarat Lion, the Rajkot-based franchise, is one of the two new franchises which will make it way into the Indian Premier League this season. The franchise, owned by Intex technologies Ltd, picked a strong side in the player draft and the player auction. The side is led by IPL power horse Suresh Raina and features several prominent international names along with established Indian players and newbies. The side is no short of firepower and it would be exciting to see how the Lions fare in the IPL. Here in this piece, we try to list out the predicted XI of the Rajkot franchise. 1. Brendon McCullum: Brendon McCullum. (Photo Source: BCCI) Brendon McCullum represents the brash brand of cricket. Fearless and outgoing, McCullum, as we all know, can tear apart the best bowling line-ups in the world. McCullum was previously with the CSK franchise and was picked in the ‘Players draft’. His IPL record is fantastic, especially in the last two seasons. He played 14 games each in the 2014 & and 2015 edition and scored 405 and 436 runs respectively for CSK. The New Zealand legend recently retired from the game which means that fans would be eagerly waiting for him to take the field and watch him have a go at the bowlers once again. 2. Dwayne Smith: Dwayne Smith. (Photo Source: BCCI) Dwayne Smith will most likely open with his CSK batting partner for the Lions too. Smith can be termed as an aggressive batsman who accesses the situation first and then goes after the bowlers. The right-hander carries same attacking flair which most of the West Indians have in them naturally. He can smash big hits effortless and can give a blazing start to the innings with his equally aggressive partner, McCullum. Smith has been a consistent run-getter in the past seasons and has 1534 runs to his name in 52 matches with a healthy strike rate of 129.41. 3. Suresh Raina (C): Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: BCCI) Suresh Raina is an IPL stalwart. The southpaw, who was the batting mainstay of the highly successful CSK franchise, will now be at the helm of the Lions. Raina’s IPL numbers are stupendous. With 3699 runs at an average of 34.25 with a strike rate of 139.84. The left-handed middle order batsman is the highest run getter in the history of this league. His consistency with the bat in the IPL is remarkable, having scored over 400 runs in each edition except for the 2015 edition where he made only 374 runs in 17 games. His presence surely can strengthen the batting lineup. 4. Eklavya Dwivedi: (Photo Source: CricBuzz) Eklavya Dwivedi plays for Uttar Pradesh and is an outstanding middle-order batsman. Eklavya reaped the benefits of sterling performances in the domestic circuit in the previous season. During the 2016 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Dwivedi was UP’s highest run-scorer with 258 runs in nine matches at 51.60. This wonderful show earned him an IPL contract with the Lions. The hard-hitter has a great opportunity to establish in the middle of this side. 5. Dinesh Karthik (wk): Dinesh Karthik.(Photo Source: BCCI) After having donned the RCB jersey last year, Dinesh Karthik was picked in the auction by Lions for a staggering amount of 2.3 crores. Kartik will take up the role of the specialist wicketkeeper-batsman in the team. Whether behind the wickets or with the bat in his hand, Kartik played with agility and aggressiveness. He has played for the different franchise over the year and done a satisfactory job. He has 122 IPL matches to his name in which he has scored 2207 runs while averaging 23.47 with a healthy strike rate of 123.98. 6. Dwayne Bravo: Dwayne Bravo. (Photo Source: BCCI) Dwayne Bravo, the Caribbean all-rounder, is a genuine T20 specialist. Bravo gained a widespread reputation around the T20 leagues in the world for his all-round skills. He can slam the brakes on the run rate and pick important wickets in the middle overs and at the death and can also display some serious power-hitting at the No. 7 position. Bravo previously played for the CSK franchise and was picked in the ‘Player Draft.’ His stats are very impressive. In 91 IPL matches, the all-rounder has made 1163 runs with a strike rate of 126.382 and has snapped 105 wickets at the same time. 7. Ravindra Jadeja: Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: BCCI) Ravindra Jadeja is India’s best left-arm spinning all-rounder at the moment. He has been a regular in the CSK setup and vital part of team’s plans. On pitches where there is even a slight hint of turn, Jadeja can unsettle the best in the business with his nippy finger spin bowling. He is also a very handy lower order batsman capable of strike fiercely. The ‘Rockstar’ had a quite 2015 season but overall his numbers are great. In 111 matches, he has scored 1383 runs while picking up 69 wickets. 8. James Faulkner: James Faulkner. (Photo Source: BCCI) The death over specialist for the Australian team would prove as complete asset for the Gujarat Lions. Faulkner is a vital component in the Australian outfit for his all-round capability. The left-arm pacer is a smart bowler who can pick wickets and be a miser during the death overs. With the bat, he is known as a finisher who can slam big hits and help his team win crunch games. 9. Praveen Kumar: (Photo Source: BCCI) The veteran swing bowler is the most experienced Indian bowler in the side. The Lions will surely benefit from his experience. The former Indian pacer can be very useful with the new ball and is entering this edition with some decent performances for Uttar Pradesh in the last season. The last few seasons have been very unsuccessful for him but considering his recent form, Kumar can surely surprise everyone with solid performances. 10. Shivil Kaushik: (Photo Source: KPL) Every year we see at least one mystery spinner making his way into the IPL scene. Karnataka’s chinaman Shivil Kaushik carries forward this tradition this year. Called as the left-arm mystery bowler, Kaushik’s action is strikingly similar to South Africa’s famous Paul Adams. His ability and unpredictable nature, Lions bought for his base price of INR 10 lakhs in the auction. Kaushik gained the attention of the scouts playing for Hubli Tigers in the KPL and will be the player to watch out for in the team. 11. Pravin Tambe: Pravin Tambe. (Photo Source: BCCI) The age-less leg spinner from Mumbai, who previously played for Rajasthan Royals became a sensation for his wonderful bowling performances. Tambe, who was picked for 20 Lakhs, will be the key spinner in the Lions lineup. Tambe has 23 wickets in 23 games in the past three seasons since making his debut. He will lend lot of experience to this side and will be interesting to see how 20-year-old Kaushik bowl with the veteran at his side. Also read: 10 Little known IPL facts

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IPL 2016 Predicted XI: Gujarat Lions

3. Suresh Raina (C):

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