Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2017, Gujarat Lions
Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson destroyed the Gujarat Lions bowling attack the last time these two teams metIANS

Fifth place is the only motivating factor on Wednesday as the Gujarat Lions play hosts to the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2017 Match 50.

Both sides, no matter what they do in their remaining games, cannot finish in the top four of IPL 2017.

Injuries and puzzling decisions have led to a disappointing season for both teams, but if these two sides serve up the kind of excitement we saw when they met in the reverse fixture, dead rubber or not, we are in for a fun ride.

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At the Feroz Shah Kotla six days ago, the Delhi Daredevils put on one of the best chases in IPL history.

Asked to haul down a target of 209, after the Gujarat Lions finished their innings on 208/7, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson put on one of the best partnerships of this season, indeed any season.

The two young Indian batsmen hit sixes at will, found the boundaries with ridiculous regularity and added 143 runs in just 10.3 overs as the Delhi Daredevils annihilated the Gujarat Lions.

What that defeat did was also knock GL out of the playoff race, so there will be plenty of that revenge feeling going around in the Gujarat Lions camp.

Suresh Raina and his team will want to show they are a better team than the one that showed up at the Kotla last Thursday, while also making a statement of their own.

Dhawal Kulkarni, Suresh Raina, Gujarat Lions, Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2017
Suresh Raina will bank on his bowlers to deliver against DDIANS

They did bounce back from that heavy defeat to DD by trumping the Kings XI Punjab in a big chase, but GL will really be keen to top the Delhi Daredevils and banish those ghosts from the Kotla game.

The Delhi Daredevils, who, with that chase, looked capable of making a run for the playoffs, went into self-destruction mode again, when they collapsed to 66 all out against the Mumbai Indians in their last game.

Thanks to that woeful defeat, the Daredevils charge for the playoffs came to an abrupt end, and that too with three matches, including this one on Wednesday, still to play.

For a team with so much potential, it is disappointing that it is either brilliant or awful when it comes to the batting and that is something that the management need to change come next season.

Maybe, with the open auction, they might go for a different strategy, but if they do stick with young talent over experience, they need to find a way to get more consistency out of these players.

When and where to watch live

GL vs DD is scheduled for an 8pm IST start. Live streaming and TV information is below.

India: TV: Sony ESPN/HD, Sony Six/HD, Sony Max. Live Streaming: Hotstar.

 

International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.

 

USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.

 

UK: TV: Sky Sports 3. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.

 

Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket. Live Streaming: OSN Play.

 

South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.