Advance by Narbavi R
In 2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad beat the odds of winning three games in a matter of five days to clinch the title. Nearly four and a half years later, they are tasked with a similar challenge.
But this one will not guarantee the title. This won’t even guarantee them a playoff spot, but if they manage to win the remaining three games over the next 7 days, they will remain in pursuit of reaching the final four.
For a team that has won just four games this season, losing seven, it’s a huge challenge. What makes it even more difficult is that those games are against the top three teams in the competition: the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, is it really an impossible task? Kings XI Punjab will shrug off such suggestions. They came back from the dead and increased their own chances by doing the exact same thing. So SRH can definitely afford to be inspired by KXIP’s turnaround.
And among those three teams, DC ranks first on SRH’s path. DC is in the midst of a nervous race, having lost their last two games, so SRH would like to believe that they will probably face them at the right time. But Ricky Ponting knows that losing can’t become a habit now, especially late in the tournament.
They have a concern at the top of the order that they will seek to address. While Shikhar Dhawan’s transformation has given them a boost, runs are not scored at the other end. Prithvi Shaw is going through a tight run and Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t clicked at all so far. Rishabh Pant hasn’t been her usual destructive self this season either, with an alarming drop in the strike rate compared to the last two years. If you can find any forms on Tuesday (October 27), DC will be well served in the future.
SRH’s problems are also predominantly found in the hitting department. Racing is starting to run out of Jonny Bairstow’s bat and David Warner hasn’t been at his best prowling moment this season. Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar have shown some encouraging signs and the entry of Jason Holder should provide more security in that middle order. But they certainly can’t afford another meltdown like the one they had in their most recent match against KXIP. DC’s bowling lineup is much stronger, putting a lot of responsibility on the top 4 to deliver.
When: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Game 47, IPL 2020, 6:00 p.m. local time, 7:30 p.m. IST
Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
What to expect: Releases have slowed down considerably in Dubai, as seen in recent games. Both teams would be inclined to hit first on this surface. SRH in particular would want that after failure to chase a moderate total last time.
Team news
Hyderabad sunrises
There is a case for SRH to strengthen his lower order by bringing Abhishek Sharma back or even handing a debut to Virat Singh in place of Abdul Samad. Vijay Shankar’s bowling shape gives them that luxury.
Probable XI: David Warner (C), Jonny Bairstow (WK), Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Jason Holder, Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma / Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan
Capitals of Delhi
With their spot in the playoffs still unsecured, DC will be tempted to play their eleven at full force. It will be interesting to see if Tushar Deshpande manages to keep his place in the XI.
Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tushar Deshpande
Capitals of Delhi Squad: Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tushar Deshpande, Prithvi Shaw, Daniel Sams, Harshal Patel, Mohit Sharma, Alex Carey, Avesh Khan, Praveen Dubey, Sandeep Lamichhane, Keemo Paul, Lalit Yadav
Hyderabad sunrises Squad: David Warner (c), Jonny Bairstow (w), Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Jason Holder, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammad Nabi, Kane Williamson, Bavanaka Sandeep, Billy Stanlake, Fabian Allen, Virat Singh, Basil Thampi, Sanjay Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Shahbaz Nadeem
