The Sunrisers have been one of the most consistent teams this year winning 4 out of their 6 matches. They would like to attain their first away game win when they take on RPS today. The Pune team, on the other hand, would want to make winning a habit before it becomes a tough task for them to qualify for the playoffs. The RPS had a 6-day break in which they would have refreshed themselves and would now be raring to go out and win. Here are the Match Preview and Predictions as Pune hosts the Sunrisers Hyderabad !
Match Preview and Predictions as Pune hosts the Sunrisers Hyderabad
PITCH
The pitch at Pune has been high-scoring so far. On 3 out of 4 occasions, the batting team has scored more than 180. The bowlers may have to improvise on this track to be successful and effective. Imran Tahir may prove to be a gamechanger with his skills. For the Sunrisers, Rashid Khan should be trusted to get wickets on this pitch.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD – STRENGTHS
The Sunrisers have won 4 matches and would love to move further up the table by winning an away game at Pune. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have both shown us the brilliant form they are in. The addition of Kane Williamson at No. 3 has bolstered the batting lineup of the Hyderabad franchise which looks very dangerous now. Williamson was brilliant in the previous match scoring 89 off 50 balls. Moises Henriques has been decent in all the matches he has played in and looks settled in the SRH lineup. The bowlers have been match winners for Sunrisers with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan and Siddharth Kaul being in impeccable form. Bhuvi has the Purple Cap and would probably retain it till the end of the season.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD – CONCERNS
After showing decent form towards the beginning of the season, Yuvraj Singh has been inconsistent with scores of 3 and 0 in the last 2 matches. He needs to get back in form to strengthen the middle order. Deepak Hooda and Naman Ojha also need to buck up and make some contribution. In the bowling department, the slot for the third pacer is up for grabs with Mohammad Siraj, Ashish Nehra and Barinder Sran all vying for a spot in the 11. Mohammad Siraj may get another chance today and he should grab it with both hands. Another issue may be that with Kane Williamson playing, all the 5 bowlers including Henriques would have to bowl 4 overs each unless Hooda and Yuvraj chip in with a few overs. This may lead to leaking of a few extra runs.
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RISING PUNE SUPERGIANT – STRENGTHS
After a long break, the Supergiant would be energetic enough to go for glory. With Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi forming a brilliant attacking opening partnership and Steven Smith at no.3, the top order looks menacing. Dhoni, at no.4, would be expected to comtribute more to the team as he showed glimpses of his old self with some fantastic shots in the last match. Manoj Tiwary has been the most consistent performer for the Pune team. He has played the role of a middle order batsman as well as that of a finisher and boy, he did look exceptional! Sending Tiwary at no.5 may be a good option for RPS. In the bowling department, Imran Tahir has been brilliant with the ball and may prove to be a huge threat for the SRH batsmen. Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat have been given a chance in the 11 and they have been very impressive and perhaps, this is exactly what they needed.
RISING PUNE SUPERGIANT – CONCERNS
RPS will need to sort out a few issues before today’s match. Ben Stokes hasn’t lived upto his price tag or his expectations. He needs to pull his socks up and win RPS a few games on his own. The no. 7 slot is a worry as they already tried Daniel Christian, Ankit Sharma and Rajat Bhatia for this position and it has still not been sorted. The bowling has been a bit of a worry and Steve Smith will expect his bowlers to come good tonight. Adding an Adam Zampa to the squad might be the solution.
PREDICTED XI
SRH – David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Yuvraj Singh, Moises Henriques, Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Siraj, Siddharth Kaul.
RPS – Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Steven Smith, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Manoj Tiwary, Ben Stokes, Daniel Christian, Rahul Chahar, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat.
WATCH OUT FOR
SRH – David Warner, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
RPS – Steven Smith, Manoj Tiwary, Shardul Thakur
HEAD TO HEAD
Overall: Played – 2, SRH won – 1, RPS won – 1
CONCLUSION AND MATCH PREDICTION
The SRH would like to move towards the top of the table with this win while RPS would be striving to get into the top 4. With both teams looking relatively balanced, the encounter seems to be a promising one. A high scoring thriller might be on the cards and with dew playing no part in the proceedings, it should be an even contest between the Orange Army and RPS team. Here’s what we predict.
Scenario 1
TOSS – SRH wins and opts to field.
1ST INNINGS SCORE – 180-190
MATCH – SRH win by 6-8 wickets.
Scenario 2
TOSS – RPS wins and opts to field.
1ST INNINGS SCORE – 195-205
MATCH – RPS win by 4-6 wickets.
