Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will aim for their first win of the season when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Match 6 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, on Wednesday, 14 April.
In a way, the Sunrisers have been an embodiment of the city they are based out of. They typically maintain a low profile, avoid the usual glamour-and-blitz package, and let their work speak for themselves. They usually deliver more than they promise.
In contrast, the Royal Challengers, with a star-studded line-up led by a larger-than-life character, has always fallen short of the promises it sparks ahead of every season.
SRH’s adept bowling attack was taken to cleaners by the Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen in their first match. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sandeep Sharma struggled to pose a threat of any sort, even in the Powerplay where are usually effective.
The lack of moisture on the Chepauk surface did not help them either. Unable to find movement in the air or off the pitch, they relied on change of pace, but even that did not work. It will be interesting to watch how they go about their business against RCB. Let us not forget Sandeep’s impeccable record against them (23 wickets in 15 games).
Mohammad Nabi, a surprise pick for the KKR match, had responded by picking up two wickets. He is likely to retain his place, alongside his Afghan compatriot Rashid Khan.
Manish Pandey at No. 3 may be a problem. He takes time to get into the groove, and often uses up lion’s share of the teams’ resources. His 44-ball 61 against KKR may look decent on paper, but it hides the impact he had on the game. He upped his tempo only after the game had slipped away. Anchoring when a blitzkrieg is needed to win the game is a terrible option. Pandey definitely needs to be more urgent, less cautious.
Abdul Samad has not faced too many balls in his fledgeling career, but he has already earned a reputation for six-hitting prowess. SRH may consider promoting him up the batting order.
Having served his quarantine, Jason Holder is now available for selection. However, his availability poses an intriguing question for David Warner. Should they include him straightway or stick to Nabi?
RCB will be coming to this contest on the back of a thrilling last-ball victory against Mumbai Indians. Having recovered from Covid-19, Devdutt Padikkal is likely to open alongside skipper Virat Kohli. Shahbaz Ahmed is likely to make way for Padikkal, while Rajat Patidar will retain his place in the squad.
Warner’s weakness against off-spinners will come to the fore once again as he is likely to face Washington Sundar in the Powerplay. RCB will expect a bit more from Dan Christian, who was expensive with the ball and did not contribute much with the bat against MI.
Overall, with the likes of Patidar, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell forming the crux of RCB’s middle-order, they appear to be a threatening outfit capable of turn the game on its head.
Head to head
Out of 17 encounters between both teams, SRH emerged victorious on 10 occasions while RCB has won 7 matches.
Key Players
Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad): Rashid relishes a challenge, and he will love to put up a show against a dynamic batting order that RCB possesses.
Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore): With SRH heavily reliant on their spinners for breakthroughs, RCB have a perfect counter-puncher in Maxwell.
Likely XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: David Warner (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Manish Pandey, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan
Prediction
SRH will taste the first victory of their season.