IPL 2017 Match 3 Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Team news and likely XIs

The Match no.3 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 between Gujarat Lions (GL) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is upon us and we cannot wait for the action to start. Both sides are going to miss a number of players in their ranks but in spite of that, this face-off between GL and KKR has all the elements to make it into an enthralling one.

 

Click here for the preview of GL vs KKR.

 

Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Dwayne Smith and Jason Roy – these names are enough to send chills down the spine of the bowlers. But going by the look of the side, McCullum and Jason Roy are likely going to be the two openers. Finch is also likely to fill in the number 4 spot after skipper Suresh Raina, who is the seasoned no.3 in the IPL.  

 

Gujarat Lions will miss their star all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja in the first couple of games, owing to injuries. This could be a big blow for them but they still have enough foreign recruits to make up for the absentees.

 

Click here for the TV listings and timings of GL vs KKR. 

 

The Knight Riders on the other hand, is likely going to miss the services of Shakib al Hasan as he just landed in Rajkot on Friday morning. Chris Lynn and Colin de Grandhomme will be the two probable choices for Gautam Gambhir for this crucial match against Gujarat Lions. KKR has a good strong middle order as Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan and Surya Kumar Yadav have always been vital cogs in their side.

 

As Umesh Yadav is missing the first couple of games, Ankit Rajpoot, who has had a wonderful domestic season with the ball, is likely to share the new ball with their latest recruit Trent Boult. Sunil Narine and chinaman Kuldeep Yadav will lead the spinning line for the two-time IPL champions.

 

Click here for the complete schedule of IPL 2017

 

Likely XIs:

 

Gujarat Lions: Brendon McCullum, Jason Roy, Suresh Raina (C), Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik (wk), James Faulkner, Ishan Kishan, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shadab Jakati, Shivil Kaushik.

 

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (C), Robin Uthappa (wk), Manish Pandey, Chris Lynn, Yusuf Pathan, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine, Ankit Rajpoot, Trent Boult.