New Delhi: West Indies' all-rounder Dwayne Smith wasn't Gujarat Lions' first choice as opener in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016.
Australian Aaron Finch, along with retired Kiwi batsman Brendon McCullum, opened the innings for the Suresh Raina-led side, before the former was ruled out for few matches due to injury.
Smith grabbed the opportunity with both hands, as he helped the Lions get off to brisk starts in almost all matches since his inclusion. The duo shares great chemistry as they were regular openers for the now suspended Chennai Super Kings for several seasons.
Not to forget, it was Finch who was instrumental in getting Lions off to a rollicking start in their maiden season, as he slammed three fifties on the trot.
The Lions have played nine matches so far this season. While Finch has accumulated 196 runs from six innings, Smith has scored 178 runs from five matches.
In the previous match against Delhi Daredevils, while the team management featured both the batsmen in the playing XI due to an injury to Dwayne Bravo, as he gets fit, only one of them can be a part of the playing XI.
While having quality players at bench is a sweet headache for any franchise, it remains to be seen which opener will sit out when Bravo returns.
