Three on Three! Gujarat Lions Couldn’t Have Asked For More

By: Sandipan Bose

What a way to begin a tournament! Three wins from three outings. The Gujarat Lions couldn’t have asked for more. They beat the Kings XI Punjab in their first match of the season, outplayed the Pune Supergiants and even won a thriller against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday night.

Prior to their third encounter against the defending champions Mumbai, they were in a spot of bother as their captain Suresh Raina wasn’t among runs. But after the Mumbai game, they have nothing to complain. Right now, they are the team to beat.

The Lions, practically, have everything. They have a few good domestic bowlers and two most sought after all-rounders in the world – Dwayne Bravo and James Faulkner.

They also have a 44-year old leg-spinner in Pravin Tambe, who is capable of dismissing the best T20 batsmen. The fielding standards are equally good, which makes the Lions a very promising side.

With the bat, the Lions have one of the best opening pair in the business – Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum. They also have a very reliable middle-order with depth.

So what is the secret mantra of this team? Isn’t it too early to talk about it? To be able to draw a conclusion about a team with three back-to-back wins doesn’t hold much water.

We have to see how the Lions take some of the other top teams like the RCB and the KKR, who are equally competitive, and tackle them.

Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun a bit? After all you have only known this team for just more than a week!