As the race for the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs heats up, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants will square off in Match 58.
LSG has five victories in 11 games (NR: 1), whereas SRH has only won four of their 10 games. This season, LSG defeated SRH by a margin of five wickets.
Here, we decode the upcoming player battles
1. Quinton de Kock vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Both Quinton de Kock and Bhuvneshwar Kumar begin the proceedings in their respective departments, so it is inevitable that they will argue.
After bowling to the Southpaw in 10 IPL innings, the SRH pacer has yet to get rid of him. De Kock has scored 49 runs off just as many pitches in this contest. In four T20I matches, the dasher has only been Dismissed by Bhuvneshwar once.
2. T. Natarajan vs Nicholas Pooran
In his last five innings this season, Nicholas Pooran has a 150-strike rate. As T Natarajan is known for nailing pinpoint yorkers, the West Indies dasher may take on the pacer in this phase.
Pooran has pounded the left-arm pacer for 31 runs off 19 balls without being stopped. Natarajan has been giving up runs in the last five overs at a rate of 9.50 this season.
3. Mohsin Khan vs Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma has recently given SRH explosive starts. This year, the southpaw’s strike rate in the power play is 149 points and 20.
Mohsin Khan’s left-arm pace would be attacked by the SRH start right away. In the IPL, Mohsin, who has good new ball-swivelling ability, has a powerplay economy rate of 6:55. In contrast, he had previously returned with 1/42 in three overs.
4. Heinrich Klaasen vs Ravi Bishnoi
This year, Heinrich Klaasen has performed some breathtaking cameos for SRH lower in the order. His 185.34 strike rate ranks third among batters with at least 100 runs this season.
Ravi Bishnoi can be used against him because leg-spinners have already removed him twice this season. This season, Bishnoi has taken 12 wickets in 11 games while allowing runs at a point-91 rate.
