Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals: How SRH could lineup for the game

SRH haven't gotten off to the best of the starts in the 12th edition of the league. They lost in a close contest against KKR and will be looking to make some amends in their teams and get back to winning ways. The match will be held in Hyderabad which is a decent track for batting. The track is also known to assist spinners and playing Shakib and Rashid may come in handy for Hyderabad. Hyderabad would want to win this game at all costs otherwise they will really fall back in the points table and with a lot of players leaving in the second half of the tournament, they would want to make full of the players that are available to them right now. With their skipper's return to the team, they will be eyeing a win and for that they could change their team which played Kolkata.

Here is what the Sunrisers Hyderabad's playing XI could look like in their encounter against Rajasthan on Friday:-

Openers: David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha (wk)

The first choice opener of the team will be David Warner. Warner had an excellent outing against KKR where he missed his century by just 15 runs. He put his team to an extremely advantageous stage and Hyderabad would want their former skipper to repeat his performance. Also, by playing David Warner, the team also gets the left-right combination as the next three players in the lineup are all right-handers. Thus, Warner makes an obvious choice to open the innings for Hyderabad.

Jonny Bairstow despite scoring 39 runs in the first match won't make the cut for the second match. This is because of his slow strike rate at which he scored the runs. He will be replaced by Wriddhiman Saha who has the ability to get the big shots. With the likes of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey down the order, Hyderabad would want someone who can get the big shots while David Warner settles down and Wriddhiman Saha makes the perfect case for that. Also, his keeping skills are unmatched and he is a far better keeper than Jonny Bairstow and he makes a better choice than him to open the game for SRH.

Middle Order: Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan

Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey were involved in many match winning partnerships in 2018

The skipper's return to the team should ease a lot of nerves in the Hyderabad camp. He has been in the best of forms and is going through a purple patch. He was the Orange Cap winner in 2018 and with his presence in the batting order, the Hyderabad team looks so much more balanced. He will be looking to do what he does the best, start off things at a slow speed and turn his innings into a match-winning knock. He will be playing at his original position at No.3 as it is the best position to control the game from.

The first Indian to score a century in the IPL, Manish Pandey will be looking to make a strong statement through his batting performance. He will be looking to better his average of 25 from the previous season and he makes the perfect No.4 as he can play long innings as well as come and hit the big shots if required.

The big man from Baroda makes the perfect No.5 for any team. Yusuf Pathan's hitting capabilities aren't unknown and he can also chip in with a few overs. With the stability that the top order of the team has, he can come in the death overs and tonk the ball all around the ground. He also has a decent record in bowling against the Royals. He picked up a wicket in the two overs that he bowled and he will be looking to repeat that performance this year.

All Rounders: Vijay Shankar and Shakib Al Hasan

One of the most in-form batsmen in the team right now, Vijay Shankar's rise in the Indian team has surprised everyone. His ability to rotate the strike as well as put the bad balls over the fence is extremely appealing to watch. He makes the perfect fit for a No.6 in the team as he really has the muscle power to hit the massive sixes. His bowling is also becoming better by the day and though Hyderabad did not use his bowling services in the first match, they would like to test him so that they can make full use of his abilities.

The fact that the best all-rounder in T20 cricket comes in at No.7 shows how good a team Hyderabad is. Shakib's performances in the league aren't unknown and he has nothing to prove. He will play a pivotal role in Hyderabad's success in the match as his bowling is hard to read and not many players can hit the big shots against him. He also complements Rashid Khan in the middle overs by minimising the run rate from one end while Rashid picks the wickets from the other end.

Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed

Is there a better and a more complete bowling attack than that of Hyderabad's?

The bowling attack like last year will be led by their vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The only player to win the Purple Cap for two consecutive years, Kumar's numbers speak for him as to how good a bowler he is. He has been in extremely good form and his bowling in the death overs has been remarkably good. He will lead the pace trio and his help and suggestions to the youngsters in the match will also be crucial.

Regarded the best modern-day spinner, there is no record which Rashid Khan hasn't touched. His variations are extremely difficult to read and he is capable of getting even the best batsmen out within a span of 2-3 balls. Players think hard before hitting him and most teams just look at the possibility of playing his four overs out. With such bowling, Rashid makes an obvious choice for the team.

Siddarth Kaul is someone who has had excellent outings against the Royals in 2018. He picked up 4 wickets in the two matches that he played, having an economy of just 5 in both the matches. His accuracy is what makes him so special and he will want to repeat his performances of 2018 this year.

The third pacer of the team, Khaleel Ahmed completes the pace attack of the team. The fact that he is a left arm pacer makes it so obvious to have him in the team. His variations are superb and he uses his pace as well as the slower ball very well. He has made a strong case for himself for the World Cup and he would like to be amongst the wickets to strengthen his spot.

Thus, this is what SRH could play in their encounter against Royals. They will be looking to give everything on the field and secure a win for themselves at all costs