In IPL’s first, it is MS Dhoni vs Suresh Raina

After making impressive debuts in their respective openers, Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions will test each others' strengths when the two new entrants clash on Thursday.

The two teams feature a lot of faces from the suspended Chennai Super Kings and at least six players, who played in the same side till last year, will now be in opposite camps.

Close friends and CSK teammates Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina will now be devising strategies as rival captains. The Dhoni-led Pune Supergiants were very convincing and dominant when they handed defending champions Mumbai Indians a nine-wicket drubbing. They did not even require their middle order, packed with Dhoni himself and players such as Steven Smith, to come out with toporder delivering it for them comfortably.

The Lions though needed a proper team effort in taming Kings XI Punjab, who batted well but were pretty ordinary when they bowled.