After a blazing start to the IPL, defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad had looked to have lost their way with successive losses, before they eked out a narrow win against Punjab. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and David Warner continue to be the two columns of the team, donning the Purple and Orange cap respectively.
They are up against the Delhi Daredevils, a side that has blown hot and cold, losing a nail-biter to the Kolkata Knight Riders in their last encounter. While the youngsters have been up to the mark with sensational performances with the bat (Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant), the bowling has crumbled at important junctures.
On the contrary, the Sunrisers bowling attack is running like a well-oiled machine, spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s dream form. Rashid Khan’s inclusion has been a masterstroke, while the likes of Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman have been doing their job.
The Delhi Daredevils’ batting has seen one batsman stand up and play a solid knock to anchor the innings. Chris Morris can strike a few lusty blows to end the innings with a flourish. It will be a contest between the Sunrisers’ batting and Delhi’s bowling attack.
Date: 19-04-2017Time: 2000 IST Venue: Hyderabad
If the pitch stays as it was during the SRH-KXIP match:
If Sunrisers Hyderabad bat first:Predicted score: 160David Warner has been in top form with the bat, clinching the orange cap in the process. His form at the top bodes well for the team, as highlighted by the 70 he made on a sluggish pitch in the last game. While Dhawan has looked sedate, Yuvraj Singh has blown hot and cold throughout. Naman Ojha showed what he is capable of in the final few overs with his lusty blows, having Deepak Hooda for company.
The Delhi Daredevils bowling has a healthy mix of pace and guile, with speedsters like Pat Cummins sharing the ball with a crafty Zaheer Khan and Chris Morris. Amit Mishra can always be banked upon in the middle overs.
If Delhi Daredevils bat first:Predicted score: 150The Daredevils’ batsmen haven’t exactly performed as a unit, with one batsman hogging the limelight in each of the innings. With Shreyas Iyer’s return, the batting looks more assured, although there are increased calls to promote Rishabh Pant up the order so that he has more deliveries to play with.
The bowling is carried by ever-reliable Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has to his assistance the likes of Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman. There is no out and out pacer in the team, but it hardly matter for SRH, who are content with fielding the medium pacers along with Rashid Khan, who has been the find of the season.
Predicted winners: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Extra cover: IPL 2017: Top 4 player encounters to look for in the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Daredevils match
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