IPL 2017: Gujarat Lions v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Game 53 – Match Result Predictions

It will be an inconsequential game for the hosts Gujarat Lions but for defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad it will be a matter of survival when the two teams meet at the Green Park in Kanpur in tomorrow’s afternoon clash of the Super Saturday doubleheader. It will be a must-win encounter for Hyderabad, while Gujarat will look to salvage some pride in their last match of the season.

Hyderabad has played some good cricket in the tournament so far but hasn’t been the dominant side which was the case earlier in the tournament. As the tournament has progressed, Hyderabad has lost some crucial games which have left them with a must-win situation in their final group game. A win will certainly guarantee their place in the playoffs but a loss will jeopardize their chances of qualification.

The defending champions boast of arguably the best bowling line-up in the tournament and even the batting department looks solid. Both their openers David Warner and ShikharDhawan are placed 1^st and 2^nd in the orange cap list and have got their team off to blazing starts on quite a few occasions. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and SiddharthKaul has been the standout pacers for Hyderabad while young Afghan leggie Rashid Khan has been a lethal option for Warner.

Gujarat Lions, on the other hand, have failed to gel as a unit and have lost their way even before the tournament reached the business end. Their bowling department has been affected by the absence of several players and currently, they are only left with 4 foreigners in the squad. UAE recruit ChiragSuri has warmed the benches as Gujarat has only fielded 3 foreigners in their XI for the last couple of matches.

The poor form of RavindraJadeja with the ball in hand hasn’t given Suresh Raina the ideal combination he would have been hoping for. Losing match winning bowlers like Andrew Tye and Dwayne Bravo has affected them a great deal and it is evident from their result as well. They have kept on losing matches and have failed to seize their opportunity at crucial moments in the game. So with the 4 o’ clock game scheduled to begin in 15 hours time let us have a look at the match predictions.

Here is what Crictracker predicts for the game:                   

Scenario 1: GL will win the toss

Toss Prediction: GL will choose to bowl

First innings prediction: 190-195

2nd innings Prediction: SRH will win by 13-16 runs

Scenario 2: SRH will win the toss

Toss Prediction: SRH choose to bowl

First innings Prediction: 165-175

2nd innings Prediction: SRH will win by 6 wickets (with 1.3 overs to spare)

Head to Head Record

Overall: Total Matches –3, GL Won – 1, SRH Won – 2

Hyderabad will start as clear favorites tomorrow especially because it will be a must-win scenario for them. While Gujarat has impressed in patches, they haven’t been a dominant opposition which will keep SRH in a good stead. In the head to head department too, SRH is slightly ahead with a 2-1 win-loss ratio.

Team Combinations

Gujarat Lions

With so many injury worries, Gujarat is hardly left with any options available and are likely to stick with the same XI which lost against Delhi Daredevils by a close margin.

Predicted XI: Ishan Kishan, Dwayne Smith, Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, play offsRavindra Jadeja, James Faulkner, AnkitSoni, Pradeep Sangwan, Basil Thampi, Dhawal Kulkarni

Sunrisers Hyderabad

After a victory against Mumbai Indians in the previous encounter, Sunrisers Hyderabad are unlikely to tinker with their combination. They will look to come all guns blazing tomorrow and ensure they book their playoffs.

Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Moises Henriques, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Nabi, Naman Ojha, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Siddharth Kaul

The odds are definitely tilted in favor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, more so because it will be a must win encounter for them.

Do let us know your predictions in the comments section below.

Note: This is purely a random call taken by the author.