Big opening battle between LSG's KL Rahul and Punjab’s Shikhar Dhawan

In-form LSG skipper KL Rahul

Before the start of IPL-15, there was a lot of curiosity about how the two new teams would fare in this highly competitive event. And while Gujarat Titans, currently sitting at the top of the points table, have done exceptionally well after eight games, Lucknow Super Giants, the other new team, haven't done too badly either. The KL Rahul-led outfit, currently fourth in the points table, will get another opportunity to strengthen their standing when they take on Punjab Kings at the MCA Stadium here on Friday. Both teams go into this match on the back of a victory, and will be keen to continue their winning run.

It promises to be a battle of the openers from either side. Whenever the selectors sit to pick the Indian T20I team, LSG's Rahul and Punjab's Shikhar Dhawan will surely be part of the discussion. Before he got injured, Rahul was considered to be a certainty in any Indian squad, irrespective of the format. And the Lucknow skipper goes into today's game high on confidence, following a century against the Mumbai Indians in the previous game.

Dhawan is to Punjab Kings what Rahul is to Lucknow. Dhawan's 88-run knock against Chennai Super Kings in the previous game played a decisive role in the team's win. At 36, Dhawan might not have age on his side and may not be high up in the pecking order in the red-ball format, but his white-ball prowess, especially in T20s, is undoubted. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Rahul in the mix, Dhawan may not be an automatic choice for the national side, but a good IPL can certainly put him in contention.