"This season has been ordinary for him" - Aakash Chopra on SunRisers Hyderabad's expectations from Rahul Tripathi in IPL 2023 clash vs RCB

Aakash Chopra has highlighted that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will expect runs from the under-performing Rahul Tripathi in their IPL 2023 clash against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The two sides will square off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, May 18. Tripathi, who has aggregated 258 runs with just a solitary half-century, has not lived up to the pre-tournament expectations from him and will hope to play a match-defining knock against RCB.

While previewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the SunRisers Hyderabad should bolster their batting by bringing in Glenn Phillips. He highlighted that the franchise will also have greater expectations from some of their other batters, including Tripathi, elaborating:

"What will you expect from them in this match? I feel you will bring Glenn Phillips in place of Marco Jansen or Fazalhaq Farooqi so that you get a little more stability in batting. Abhishek Sharma has done nothing on this ground thus far. The numbers are extremely ordinary."

The former Indian opener added:

"So you will look towards him and Anmolpreet Singh to score runs. Rahul Tripathi - finally score some runs because this season has been ordinary for him as well. Markram too has been very off-color. He was a big-ticket player. He is this team's captain but he hasn't looked the part."

While naming Heinrich Klaasen as the only saving grace in the SunRisers Hyderabad's batting thus far, Chopra urged Aiden Markram to use Mayank Markande more effectively as a bowler, saying:

"So that is a problem. Klaasen is their only shining bright hope but what will one guy alone do? In bowling, they will figure out a way to be effective. Get Mayank Markande to bowl his entire four overs if you can do that."

Klaasen, with 326 runs in nine innings at an outstanding strike rate of 172.48, is SRH's top run-getter in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. Markande is SRH's second-highest wicket-taker, with his 12 scalps behind only Bhuvneshwar Kumar's tally of 14 wickets.

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"They have not played well both at home and away" - Aakash Chopra on the SunRisers Hyderabad's issue in IPL 2023

SRH have won only one of their previous six home games. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra pointed out that the SunRisers Hyderabad have failed to replicate their previous seasons' dominance at home in IPL 2023, observing:

"Hyderabad's story is that they have not played well both at home and away. They had the second-highest win percentage at home before this tournament. After Chennai, it was Hyderabad, but the performance has been ordinary this year from all angles."

The SunRisers Hyderabad have registered only four wins in IPL 2023 and are currently placed last in the points table. Their only success at home was an eight-wicket win against the Punjab Kings.