IPL 2017: Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 5 talking points
Riding on strong batting line-ups, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders faced each other to kickstart their respective IPL seasons. As the match was played on a batting friendly wicket, runs were sure to flow and at the end, there were plenty.
Chris Lynn certainly and deservingly made the headlines while Gautam Gambhir was outstanding. The result of their magnificent batting is a record-breaking opening partnership in IPL.
However, along with this stunning opening partnership, there were some more talking points from this game. Here we present the top four talking points from this match.
#1 Raina scores a fifty and also becomes the highest run getter in IPL
After losing his place in the national team, Suresh Raina recently failed to bag a central contract from the BCCI. Hence, questions over his future are looming but the Gujarat Lions captain today made a strong statement about his form by scoring a crucial half-century. The southpaw with his innings of 68 has announced that it is too early to write him off.
He came to the crease with the score reading 22 for 1 and then kept one end guarded till the end. Raina ensured that the scoreboard was kept ticking during the middle overs and also provided a fabulous finish courtesy of his terrific partnership with Dinesh Karthik.
Rain, meanwhile, also became the highest run getter in IPL. The left-hander had been a key factor of CSK’s consistent performance since the advent of the tournament. Ten years on and he looks as fine he ever has in the number three position.
Luck certainly played a vital role for Raina as he was dropped twice and was fortunate to not get run out. But even then Raina looked solid and this is certainly a good omen for his fans and Gujarat Lions.