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Sunday's (April 2) first match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) host the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
Both teams had contrasting fortunes last year. While RR made it to the final of IPL 2022 before losing to Gujarat Titans (GT), the SunRisers finished eighth in the table with six wins and eight defeats.
Both teams have made some key reinforcements to their side at the IPL 2023 mini-auction and will come out all guns blazing from the first game.
The bowlers are likely to have a tough time at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, given that it is a batting paradise with the average first-innings score being 196. However, both SRH and RR have world-class bowlers who will look to make a mark in the first game.
On that note, let's take a look at three players who can pick up the most wickets during the SRH vs RR contest.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal
The senior leg-spinner had a superb campaign last year, picking up 27 wickets in 17 games for RR. On the back of his brilliant run in the IPL, Yuzvendra Chahal made a comeback for the Indian team in the limited-overs format.
However, he recently lost his place in the side to Kuldeep Yadav. Chahal will be eyeing the IPL to showcase his form and put up a case in front of the national selectors.
Although he is unlikely to get any assistance from the wicket, he knows how to come up with breakthroughs on flat tracks.
#2 Umran Malik
Since IPL 2022, where he picked up 22 wickets from 14 games for SRH, Umran Malik has hardly put a foot wrong. The Jammu and Kashmir-born fast bowler made his India debut in T20Is and ODIs and impressed everyone.
Although he has been a touch wayward at times, Umran has impressed with his express pace. The youngster has hurried batters with his raw pace and it will be difficult to stop him if he gets into the groove early.
SRH will hope Umran continues from where he left off last season as the Hyderabad-based franchise look to win their first title since 2016.
#3 Trent Boult
Senior New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult is a genuine wicket-taker who will look after the new ball duties for RR. He brings in a wealth of experience with himself, having played in the IPL since 2015.
Since giving up on his New Zealand contract, Boult has been concentrating more on franchise cricket and has been in good form. The left-arm pacer knows how to be successful in this part of the world, having played plenty of cricket on flat Asian wickets.
If Boult gets going, he will be a tricky customer to tackle, given his ability to swing the new ball.
