Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, the two new teams in the IPL, will take the field on Monday hoping to take their first step right. There will be questions galore, both as a team and for individuals, for which the two sides will be seeking answers.
In focus will be the two captains, Gujarat’s Hardik Pandya and Lucknow’s KL Rahul. Both of them have a lot to prove and will be keen to get their act right at the Wankhede Stadium to set the tone for the season.
Hardik faces a tougher test perhaps. The all-rounder, who was once considered an absolute superstar for his prowess with the bat and the ball, has somewhat been in the shadows for the last year or so. Injuries hampered his fast-rising career and now Hardik will have to not only rediscover himself as a player, but will also have to lead a team in the cut-throat world of the IPL. That they are a new set-up, makes his task doubly tougher.
It will interesting to see if Hardik bowls on Monday. He had given up bowling medium pacers to protect his back during his last stint with the Mumbai Indians and played only as a batsman. The Titans though have a very potent bowling arsenal.
They have pacers like Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson and Varun Aaron, while their spin department will be spearheaded by Rashid Khan, the champion T20 spinner from Afghanistan.
In the batting department, Shubman Gill is the star for Titans and it will be interesting to see whom he opens the batting with. It could be Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan or they may even go with Wriddhiman Saha. Both Gurbaz and Saha are also wicketkeepers.
All-rounders Rahul Tewatia and Vijay Shankar will also be expected to pay key roles, while Abhinav Manohar from Karnataka will be an exciting prospect to watch in the middle-order if he gets to play on Monday.
Lucknow captain Rahul, on the other hand, will be hoping that he can do better
in leading a side than what he did at Punjab Kings last season. While Rahul excelled with the bat while playing for Punjab, he did not have that success as a captain. Being touted as a future India skipper, the onus is on Rahul to show the world that he has good leadership skills.
He has a good team to give him support in that endeavour. Lucknow have a blockbuster opening pair of Rahul and Quinton de Kock and much will depend on the start that they provide upfront. Manish Pandey will be expected to provide muscle to the middle order with all his experience.
They also have good all-rounders in Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya. The bowling, though a bit short on experience, is rich in talent with Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi leading the charge.
Hardik though will have one advantage over Rahul, that is his familiarity with the Wankhede. It is the ground that shaped his career while playing for the Mumbai Indians. Can it revitalise his cricket once more?