Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) scored a blistering 286 runs in their opening game, lighting up the season and cranking the 300-plus target talks to the maximum. Since then, they have done little to live up to the destructive label they carried so triumphantly through the last season. Their performances as well as the results in the subsequent three games have exposed the chink within their armor so mercilessly. They find themselves anchored to the bottom of the table, and they do not have much time left to delay the repair work.
Their sudden slump prompts a few uncomfortable yet crucial questions, to which they need to find the answers as soon as they can. Did their incredible opening form in the last season paper over deeper cracks? Did their success last season blind them to the fact that they were over-reliant on their top-order, and now that they are not going full-throttle, the inconsistencies within are laid bare.
And most importantly, can they collect their pieces before they meet Gujarat Titans?
SRH have split their home games evenly between winning and losing thus far, and they will play Gujarat at their home ground too. However, whether that will give them any benefit hinges on their flexibility to correct their trendsetting strategy. Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, all three, aren’t instinctively blind sloggers, and should they recalibrate their strategy and bring in more composure, they will still have plenty in their batting lineup to carry the game forward.
Team Overview:
Aggressive batting or lack thereof isn’t SRH’s only issue. Their bowling attack has not really cut the mark so far in the four games they played. Mohammad Shami and Pat Cummins, as much as they were believed to bring success for SRH with the ball, have yet to come to the party, and in all fairness, SRH do not have more time left to wait.
It is unfair to only mention SRH’s misfortune and not about how GT have been accepting changes. Bringing in Jos Buttler might probably be their best investment, which has, all at once, made them a potential candidate to be the ultra-aggressive team this season. Titans recently downed the high-flying Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and that owes a lot to how their batting lineup fared. The bowling attack has done well too, but they still have plenty of room for improvement.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Gujarat have won three out of four matches they contested SRH in. SRH’s only one win against GT came last year in Ahmedabad.
Weather and Pitch Report:
SRH scored the highest-score this season in Hyderabad, and would they want to get out of the rut at this very venue. The venue offers plenty of assistance to batters, and a high-scoring match won’t exactly be surprising.
Prediction:
Despite what they have been through so far, SRH’s strength lies in aggressive hitting, somethin Hyderabad would support them in doing. So, expect this game to fall in the hosts lap, though GT would prove to be a tough test for them.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
