Looking at the points table and not finding Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the foot isn’t really a familiar sight. Just as baffling is seeing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) occupying the basement. Both sides seem to have had a Freaky Friday-esque switch. But the league has reached a point where SRH’s shoddy outings are starting to cost them. With only one win in five games and absolutely no sign of improvement, Hyderabad seem to be gasping confusedly at what’s happening to them. Their highly aggressive batting isn’t serving them the way they expected. Perhaps they relied too heavily on something as fickle as aggressive cricket.
Whatever it is, they need a reboot, immediately, to get themselves straight before the playoff debates start lurking near.
PBKS, on the other end, have been going ever so strongly under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership and have got nearly all the bases covered.
Team Overview:
No team has lost more wickets in the powerplay this season than SRH, which speaks volumes about their struggles. It’s no secret that Travishek have not yet arrived in their full characte,r and the strain has quite so often caused the middle-order to crumble. On top of that, their bowling attack has effectively failed to take control of the situation when needed. SRH currently have the worst bowling average and bowling economy among all teams, without any filters for types of bowlers, match stage, or venues. Their over-aggressive approach might not be as much of a problem as it is with their concerning bowling. Amidst all this, they lack a genuine spin option. Adam Zampa could solve that for them but doing that would mean benching a batsman, which makes this decision a tough nut to crack.
Priyansh Arya has swiftly become IPL’s latest pedigree. His century in the last game against CSK helped PBKS get over the line despite a major collapse. While Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis in the middle-order have not done too impressive a job, their mere presence is quite threatening for the opposition, but they would want to get into their groove before their form starts damaging the work of the top-order by needlessly burdening them. There is also a worrying sign for Punjab in their bowling, especially with Yuzvendra Chahal not really at his trademark best. Like SRH, their bowling has been pretty average as well, but Arshdeep Singh is a class apart, though the home ground was quite merciless for him too.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have played a total of 23 IPL games. Out of which Punjab have only won 7 games, losing all the remaining 16 to SRH.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Hyderabad was the venue where SRH scripted their only win, and they would want to ride the assistance it offers to batters again. The weather is clear of any rain threats now, following a brief spell of rain in the region over the past few days. The track, however, might not be as dry so fast bowlers will have to run the hard yards, with little to no input from spinners. 4
Prediction:
Hard to believe it but PBKS definitely have the upper hand going into the game, so expect them to soar away with the game while they are at it.
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
