IPL Schedule 2017: Fixtures, Start Times, Viewing Details and Predictions
The 2017 Indian Premier League may barely be a week old, but the campaign is already reaching fever pitch as teams prepare to play eight matches in the space of four days starting this Friday.
It's on that day the Gujarat Lions will finally look to get their 2017 on track with a first win of the new term when they face Rising Pune Supergiant, who sit just one place ahead of them after their first three games.
High-flying Mumbai Indians will also travel to face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday before the Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils host respective opponents Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.
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Mumbai then return to home turf and welcome Gujarat to Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, the same day Royal Challengers are set to host Pune at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Read on as we preview the upcoming 2017 IPL fixture schedule, complete with live-stream and television viewing information, as well as previews of the most enticing matchups on display.
| Kings XI Punjab | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.598 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.156 |
| Mumbai Indians | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +0.199 |
| Delhi Daredevils | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +2.050 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1.279 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.206 |
| Rising Pune Supergiant | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.718 |
| Gujarat Lions | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.731 |
| Friday, April 14 | 11:30 a.m. BST/4 p.m. local time | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Mumbai Indians |
| Friday, April 14 | 3:30 p.m. BST/8 p.m. local time | Gujarat Lions vs. Rising Pune Supergiant |
| Saturday, April 15 | 11:30 a.m. BST/4 p.m. local time | Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Saturday, April 15 | 3:30 p.m. BST/8 p.m. local time | Delhi Daredevils vs. Kings XI Punjab |
| Sunday, April 16 | 11:30 a.m. BST/4 p.m. local time | Mumbai Indians vs. Gujarat Lions |
| Sunday, April 16 | 3:30 p.m. BST/8 p.m. local time | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rising Pune Supergiant |
Gujarat Get Season Up and Running Against Pune
Despite failing to muster much of a score when they were beaten by nine wickets in their last outing against Hyderabad, Gujarat stand a much better chance of igniting their season with a win against Pune on Friday.
It was especially surprising to see the Lions only manage to score 135 runs against the Sunrisers, particularly after Cricbuzz outlined Gujarat's intimidating strength in batting depth:
One batsman in particular who will be looking for cause to celebrate this Friday is Dwayne Smith, the Barbados-born brute who celebrated his 34th birthday on Wednesday:
"Happy birthday Dwayne Smith from all of us at @TheGujaratLions! ☺️ #GameMaariChhe pic.twitter.com/0ajORnEkXF
— The Gujarat Lions (@TheGujaratLions) April 12, 2017"
Rising Pune Supergiant are also coming into the fixture on the back of a loss to Delhi Daredevils, where they could only manage 108 runs in their bid to chase down a tally of 205 in a rather dismal attempt.
Pune's other defeat of the season so far came on the road in their previous trip to face Kings XI Punjab, and Gujarat will hope home advantage is worth its weight this time around as they seek their maiden win of 2017.
Delhi to Dish Defeat Upon Kings XI Punjab
Delhi were late in getting their season started, but after an opening defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore last Saturday, the Daredevils were far more impressive against Pune on Tuesday.
One player who caught the eye in the 97-run win was century-scorer Sanju Samson, and the 22-year-old spoke of the influence of his coaches after being named man of the match in that win, per IPLT20.com (h/t the Hindustan Times):
"The dedication must go to the Delhi Daredevils management. I thank Rahul Dravid, Zubin Bharucha, Paddy Upton and each member of the team who has supported me throughout. Last IPL season was not great for me, but they supported me throughout and I dedicate this knock to them.”
While 22-year-old Samson has impressed for Delhi, it was veteran Hashim Amla who guided Kings XI to their most recent win, per SuperSport, as he notched a half-century in the recent win over Bangalore:
After their first two matches of the season, the Daredevils boast a better net run rate than any other team in the division (plus-2.050) and will be hoping that figure only improves this Saturday.
This will also be Delhi's first home fixture of the season, putting extra pressure on head coach Paddy Upton's side to make their mark and extend their hopes of challenging for this year's IPL crown.
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