The match No. 44 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 will see two high-ranked sides take on each other at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad (RPS) lock horns against Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in a marquee clash which will determine who nears the coveted No. 1 and No. 2 spot in the IPL 10 playoffs. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who hit top note, now see a slump in their form after the annihilation at the hands of Delhi Daredevils (DD) in Match No. 40. Rising Pune Supergiant, meanwhile, seems to be peaking at just the right time.
The last time these two sides met was in match No. 24, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s (MCA) International Stadium, Pune. Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered a harrowing loss by 6 wickets after setting RPS a 179-run target. The head-to-head tally favours the visitors, who have won 2 games out of 3. Even though Hyderabad is Sunrisers Hyderabad’ fortress, they are yet to win against Rising Pune Supergiant. The last match at Hyderabad saw Rising Pune Supergiant winning by 34 runs via D/L method that saw Ashok Dinda star with the ball.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’ top heavy batting line-up has so far been devastating. With a combined score of 1,311 runs, skipper David Warner leads the chart with 489 runs, followed by Shikhar Dhawan (369), Kane Williamson (228) and Moises Henriques (225). In a stark comparison, the Rising Pune Supergiant’s top-order too can match them run-by-run, having accumulated a total of 1,155 runs with Rahul Tripathi (352) running past the likes of Steven Smith (333), Ben Stokes (244) and Ajinkya Rahane (226).
What goes in favour of Rising Pune Supergiant here is the form of MS Dhoni (204) and Manoj Tiwary (190), who have been in fine touch. Wherein for Sunrisers Hyderabad, only Yuvraj Singh (187) has scored runs in the middle order. With hardly anything separating the batting line-ups, all rests on their bowling and fielding performances.
As far as fielding is concerned, both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune Supergiant have an amalgamation of the finest in Warner, Smith, Rahane, Stokes, Yuvraj and Williamson. Of course, Dhoni, with his impeccable glove work, brings in that added advantage for RPS, with Naman Ohja being anything but inspirational.
This match will also see the battle of the best when Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan take on the spin-pace duo of Imran Tahir and Jaydev Unadkat. So far, Bhuvneshwar is running away with the Purple Cap, with Tahir and his own teammate Rashid are chasing him. Unadkat, surprisingly, has risen for Rising Pune Supergiant, ensuring their death over issues getting resolved.
This match might very well be decided by third and fourth change bowlers of both sides. This is where Rising Pune Supergiant have a slight edge, with Stokes, whose bowling has been top notch, adding to it is the young Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, who have been very economical. Sunrisers Hyderabad on the flip side have Siddarth Kaul and Mohammed Siraj who have been equally impressive in the death overs.
Speaking about teams, it will be a rarity if any of the two sides opt to change their winning combination unless a last moment injury occurs. Dan Christian’s availability remains doubtful after his jersey-gaffe in last match against .Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Faf du Plessis might get a look in that case.
The match No. 44 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 will see two high-ranked sides take on each other at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad (RPS) lock horns against Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in a marquee clash which will determine who nears the coveted No. 1 and No. 2 spot in the IPL 10 playoffs. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who hit top note, now see a slump in their form after the annihilation at the hands of Delhi Daredevils (DD) in Match No. 40. Rising Pune Supergiant, meanwhile, seems to be peaking at just the right time.
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