"They start like a bullet train" - Aakash Chopra picks Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma among SRH players in focus in IPL 2024 clash vs LSG

Aakash Chopra has noted that SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have almost invariably given them explosive starts in IPL 2024. Head wasn't a part of SRH's playing XI in their season opener against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but has batted at the top of the order since making his debut for the franchise in their second game.

SRH will face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 8. With 12 points from 11 games, the hosts are placed fourth on the points table and a win against LSG will help them leapfrog the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) into third position.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra chose Head and Abhishek as the first two SunRisers Hyderabad players to watch out for in Wednesday's game.

"If this team has to win, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma need to play for long and explosively because they do two things. One is they score runs and secondly, they attack you hard mentally. It just demotivates you the way they start. They start like a bullet train," he reasoned (5:20).

The former India opener noted that Head has shown different facets of his game in IPL 2024.

"Travis Head needs to be talked about first because he is in that kind of form. We have seen him playing differently a few times. He played slightly cautiously in the last match at home against Rajasthan because the pitch was like that. He started scratchily in the last match as well but eventually got close to his fifty," Chopra observed.

While acknowledging that Abhishek fell cheaply in SRH's previous game, Chopra expects the Indian youngster to deliver the goods against LSG.

"Travis Head will once again be my guy in focus because you expect runs from him. When the business end of the tournament has come, Hyderabad is entrusted to you. The second player I am picking is Abhishek Sharma. He has batted well. He didn't score runs in the last match. I expect him to play well," he said.

With 444 runs at a strike rate of 189.74 in 10 innings, Head is SRH's highest run-scorer in IPL 2024. Abhishek is the franchise's third-highest run-getter this season, with his 326 runs in 11 innings coming at a strike rate of 195.20.

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"I stand corrected" - Aakash Chopra praises SRH skipper Pat Cummins for proving him wrong

Pat Cummins is SRH's second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra picked Pat Cummins as the third SunRisers Hyderabad player in focus against the Lucknow Super Giants. He admitted that the Australian Test and ODI skipper has proved his pre-tournament skepticism wrong.

"The third, I am going with Pat Cummins. He is captaining well, even batting well now, and bowling in the right areas. When he was selected as a captain, I felt what were they doing as they were spending so much money and his IPL numbers were not great. However, I stand corrected," he explained (6:45).

"Pat Cummins Sir, you have been absolutely outstanding and I am happy to course correct. You are doing very well. So Pat Cummins is my third player to watch out for," the renowned commentator added.

Cummins has picked up 13 wickets at an economy rate of 9.02 in 11 innings in IPL 2024. Only T Natarajan (15) has accounted for more dismissals for the Hyderabad-based franchise this season.