Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad face resurging RCB

Teams Status

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 

Sunrisers Hyderabad will enter the contest against the Royal Challengers Bangalore as an underdog, largely because of their form recently where they suffered three losses in a row, including a 21-run defeat against Delhi Capitals in the previous outing. 

Those results left the side with just 10 points after 10 matches which included five defeats and five victories. The management would be hoping to see the players produce a much better performance in the matches to come. 

Sunrisers have been heavily relying on their fast-bowling department to get them over the line with three pacers — Thangarasu Natarajan, Umran Malik and Bhuvneshwar Kumar — having claimed 10 or more wickets for the team in the tournament. 

Natarajan is leading the charts with 17 wickets to his name and he is closely followed by young Malik with 15 scalps whereas Kumar has 10 wickets under his belt. 

In the batting department, young left-hander Abhishek Sharma is leading the charts with 331 runs at an average of 33.10 and with the strike-rate of 134, which included two half-centuries. 

South Africa’s Aiden Markram is by far the team’s most lethal weapon with the bat in hand for the Sunrisers with 305 runs at an outstanding average of 76.25 along with the strike-rate of 151.74, including three fifties. 

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will enter the contest against Sunrisers Hyderabad as slight favourites, despite having won the same amount of matches (2) in the last five outings as their Saturday’s opponent.

The primary reason is the Sunrisers’ poor form with three consecutive defeats and the fact that the RCB managed to win in their last fixture against the Chennai Super Kings by 13 runs.

That win lift the side to 12 points after 11 matches and the management would be hoping to see the players continuing the winning momentum in the remaining matches.

Just like the Sunrisers, the Royal Challengers’ strength has been their bowling department. Star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva is leading the charts with 16 scalps at an average of 19 and economy-rate of 8.21.

He is followed by pacers Harshal Patel and Josh Hazlewood who have managed to claim 13 and 11 wickets, respectively.

In terms of the batting department, captain Faf du Plessis is leading the table with 316 runs at an average of 28.72 along with the strike-rate of 130.04, which included two half-centuries.