The Green Park stadium, Kanpur, is where we will take on the Gujarat Lions in our last league match of this IPL season. It will be an important clash for both teams as a win will make us strong contenders for the coveted playoff spot.

Located on the banks of the river Ganges, Kanpur’s Green Park stadium is known for its unique soil. On account of its particular soil type, the wicket is known to be predominantly slow and low. The wicket will be somewhat similar to what we saw in Visakhapatnam which gives us an added advantage.

The game between GL and KKR on the 19th was the first time an IPL match was held at this venue. No international T20 matches have ever been held at Kanpur before. The last ODI match held here was between India and South Africa in October 2015, where Rohit Sharma played an anchoring innings of 150 to lead the chase but ended on the losing side. Traditionally, the pitch at Kanpur has assisted the batsmen. In its current state however, it won’t significantly favour either department of the game, which should make for an exciting spectacle. It depends on how well both the batsmen and bowlers can use this track to steer the ball where they want it to go. In the game between GL and KKR, sticking to the right length and areas was the key factor. The pitch did offer assistance to the bowlers but as it was evident in the game, this is not going to be a high scoring wicket. KKR batsmen struggled to time the ball against GL and it was difficult to play across the line. The mystery of this wicket is the only hurdle in selecting the correct team combination.

The fans will look forward to seeing Hitman and Guptill put together a grand performance and give the innings a blazing start. It will be a treat for all cricket fans in Kanpur to watch this duo together for the first time. A win at Kanpur will get us to 16 points which is the maximum points we can reach this season. A power packed performance will not only help us in getting the 2 points but also in improving our NRR, which is going to be one of the key factors for qualification.