Match 52 of IPL 2021 will feature a clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. This is the penultimate match for both sides. While Bangalore, third on the points table, have already qualified for the Playoffs, Hyderabad is, and shall finish, at last position.
If Bangalore win both matches and Chennai Super Kings lose their last match to Punjab Kings, the former will finish in the safe cushion of a top-two spot. The Hyderabad cricketers, too, will try to impress before the upcoming mega-auction in a few months’ time.
Bangalore have been among the strongest outfits this season, with both their batters and bowlers enjoying a good outing. Unlike previous seasons, they are not been overly dependent on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, as Glenn Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal, and even K.S. Bharat, have shared the workload. Maxwell, in particular, has been consistent with both bat and ball.
In bowling, they have unleashed a gem in Harshal Patel. The season has certainly taken his career to the next level. He has been exceptional at the death. With 26 wickets, he holds the Purple Cap by some distance, and has a decent chance of overtaking Dwayne Bravo's IPL record of 32 wickets in a season.
Yuzvendra Chahal, their other key bowler, has 10 wickets from the last five matches, in the UAE. He has altered the course of the match multiple times with his bowling. They may also bring Wanindu Hasaranga in this match to put more pressure on batters like Jason Roy.
Little has gone right for Hyderabad this season. They had to sack, and even drop, captain David Warner from the side. Experienced Indian middle-order batters, like Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav, are unlikely to play for this franchise again. This is a good opportunity for youngsters like Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad to get noticed by the scouts. Wriddhiman Saha has failed to provide the quick starts, and may be replaced by his state teammate Shreevats Goswami in these last couple of matches.
Rashid Khan and Jason Holder, their key bowlers this season, have tried to create pressure. But Hyderabad's traditional strength – their Indian pacers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed –have been inconsistent. They should be excited with the pace of Umran Malik, and should persist with him for the last two matches of the season.
Likely XIs
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, K.S. Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, A.B. de Villiers, Dan Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul
Betway Fantasy Tips
- Top-order players like Kohli, Padikkal, and Roy should be in demand
- With their current form all-rounder, Maxwell and Holder are must-haves
- Chahal and Rashid, the two world-class wrist spinners, should be obvious choices in fantasy
Blitzpools Fantasy XI
Srikar Bharat; Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Jason Roy, Abdul Samad; Glenn Maxwell (vc), Jason Holder; Rashid Khan, Siddharth Kaul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel (c)
