Sunrisers Hyderabad face Rajasthan Royals in match 26 in the first of the two games on a Super Sunday in Dubai. Both teams are coming into this game with contrasting results in their last respective game. SRH came back to winning ways beating KXIP on Thursday.
While, just a day after, the Royals face yet another defeat against Delhi capitals in Sharjah. This is Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first afternoon game in IPL 2020.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Look to Continue Winning Run
Sunrisers Hyderabad came back to winning ways against Kings XI Punjab on Friday. It was a commanding win as SRH openers David Warner and Bairstow was back at their best. The Punjab bowlers had to bear the brunt of both of them going great guns. The duo played an attacking brand of cricket, something which they are known for in the IPL.
Their bowlers backed up the good work done by the batsmen as Rashid Khan & co bowled the opposition out for just 132. Their 69-run victory was the second-largest in terms of runs this IPL season.
They would like to stick to the same template of batting first and defending their target. Warner incidentally was the first captain in IPL 2020 to bat first after winning the toss. He started the trend and now the other captains seem to follow him, after the trending of chasing just starting to take a backseat as the tournament continues.
With them doing everything right against Punjab and earning an important victory, they are also in a good head space at the moment. They seem to have found the balance and against a struggling Rajasthan outfit stand firm favourites to win the contest.
Also Read: IPL 2020: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals-5 Talking Points
Rajasthan In Need of a Royal Turnaround
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have already got into a lot of trouble losing four on the trot. They need a big turnaround and their key players to perform after yet another disappointing outing against Delhi. Steve Smith and Sanju Samson need to get back into runs after going through a rough patch after the first two games. Smith (24) and Samson (5) were dismissed cheaply yet again against Delhi with Rajasthan fancying a win in Sharjah. Jos Buttler’s run of poor scores is also not helping the team.
Ben Stokes will be available for the Rajasthan Royals from the next match. It will be interesting to see as to if he can make an instant impact on the team.
Their bowling attack barring Jofra Archer has not been amongst the wickets. Their Indian pace contingent especially has not performed at all. Unfortunately, Andrew Tye did not have a good debut for the Rajasthan Royals as well. The management needs to identify options who can be a help to Archer from the other end.
The spin of Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Tewatia has done a good job for them in the last match and will like to keep their form going.
Head to Head: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals
There is nothing much to choose between the two teams in their head to head comparisons. Sunrisers Hyderabad has won six, while Rajasthan five out of the total 11 games played. In the last five games between both sides, SRH have won four games, while the Royals just one.
Pitch & Weather Conditions
An afternoon game will negate any impact the dew might have in the game. While Sunrisers Hyderabad have fancied batting first, it will be interesting to see what Smith does if he wins the toss. Royals have lost three of their four games while chasing. CSK is the only team that has won chasing at this venue.
Team News
Ben Stokes will be available for selection for the Royals against SRH. He comes in straight as a replacement for Andrew Tye who had a forgetful debut for the Royals. Sunrisers Hyderabad might look to stick with the same side that brought them back to winning ways.
Also Read: We Have Failed To Execute Properly Under Pressure – Steve Smith
Squad
Rajasthan Royals
Steven Smith (c), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Sanju Samson (wk), Andrew Tye, Kartik Tyagi, Ankit Rajpoot, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Mahipal Lomror, Oshane Thomas, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, Akash Singh, David Miller, Manan Vohra, Shashank Singh, Varun Aaron, Tom Curran, Robin Uthappa, Aniruddha Joshi, Jofra Archer
Sunrises Hyderabad
David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Virat Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Basil Thampi, Abhishek Sharma, Billy Stanlake, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, K Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Mitchell Marsh, Bavanaka Sandeep, Fabian Allen, Abdul Samad, Sanjay Yadav, Rashid Khan
Also Read: IPL 2020: Match 26- Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad- Fantasy Tips