IPL 2018, Match 16: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Match Predictions

SRH are sitting on top of the points table having won three from three.

Published - 18 Apr 2018, 21:39 IST | Updated - 18 Apr 2018, 21:39 IST

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The Sunrisers Hyderabad, even in the absence of their regular captain David Warner, have emerged as a very powerful side in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 and are currently sitting at the top of the points table with 6 points in 3 games.

However, it has happened in the IPL before that the teams have had a great start and then lost their way in the middle to miss out on playoffs which is something the Sunrisers would be wary of. They have to avoid the sense of complacency creeping in on their way ahead in the tournament with an away game against Kings XI Punjab tomorrow.

Kings XI will be pumped up after beating the Chennai Super Kings in a thriller the other night and they will look to carry that momentum forward. With a new captain at helm, there seems to be a refreshing change in their approach this season, but maintaining the consistency will be the real challenge for them going forward as it’s a long tournament.

Pitch and Conditions

The PCA stadium pitch for the game against CSK was an absolute road. There was nothing in it either for the fast bowlers or the spinners and only those who were impeccable with their lines and lengths managed to get away economically. Although it’s a significantly bigger ground as opposed to some of the other grounds in India, if the surface stays as flat as it was on Sunday, a truckload of runs will be scored again.

Toss is always a crucial factor in the night games because of the dew factor. The team winning the toss often opts to field first which provides them the advantage of batting in dewy conditions later, with the bowlers not having much control over their lengths with the wet ball. This match will be the same as both the captains will hope to win the toss and field first.

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Playing Combination

Kings XI Punjab

Probable Changes – Aaron Finch out, David Miller in

Aaron Finch has had a torrid time on the field of late as he has bagged two back-to-back golden ducks in the last two games. The big hustling right-hander probably needs a bit of a break and Ravichandran Ashwin might just leave him out of the XI tomorrow.

Since Finch was slotted in the middle order and wasn’t playing as an opener, his like-for-like replacement is David Miller who is a perfectly suited no. 6 batsman as he is capable of playing muscular shots and can devastate any attack on his day.

Chris Gayle will be persisted with at the top of the order after the way he bulldozed the CSK bowlers a couple of nights back. However, the Sunrisers attack will surely pose a much tougher challenge to the West Indian veteran.

Predicted XI: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul (WK), Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller, Ravichandran Ashwin (C), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Zadran

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Probable Changes – No Change

The Sunrisers have found a good balance with their XI very early in the tournament and they most likely will put out the same unit on the park they put out against KKR.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar seemed to be all sorted with his back at the Eden Gardens as he completed his quota of 4 overs without any visible discomfort which removed the question marks over his fitness. He is 100% fit and should be playing this game as well.

Siddharth Kaul was slightly out of sorts in the KKR game and was taken away for a few boundaries, but there is no possibility of the Sunrisers management contemplating to drop him given the control he showed with his variations in the first couple of games.

Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson (C), Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Rashid Khan, Siddharth Kaul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Billy Stanlake

Team Comparison

The Sunrisers’ bowling attack can adapt to all conditions as they have bowlers who possess different types of skills. While Bily Stanlake brings raw pace to the table, Bhuvneshwar is more about swinging the ball upfront and bowling Yorkers in the death. Rashid Khan’s quickish leggies and Shakib’s wily left-arm spin are not easy to put away and Siddharth Kaul’s variations are pretty efficient too for a fifth bowler.

Punjab also has a couple of quality spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and Mujeeb Zadran who can turn the ball both ways and can also beat the batsman in the air with their guile, but the hosts don’t match Hyderabad with their pace battery as they lack genuine speed of somebody like Stanlake. Andrew Tye and Mohit Sharma are very, very skilful in their own rights, but they are not up there in terms of pace and the batsmen who are smart enough can line them up.

Punjab, however, is well ahead of Hyderabad as far as the batting of the two teams is concerned. With Chris Gayle into the side now and batting as well as he did last game and with KL Rahul enjoying a bit of a purple purple-patch, they are quite a force.

Hyderabad surely doesn’t have the same striking ability with the bat, however, they also are an experienced batting unit and can get the job done.