Walking into what will be the second qualifier for one team and the second eliminator for the other, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are flying high on momentum as they arrive on the back of four consecutive wins, all against the top-placed side. What makes things even better for them is that they have to face the Delhi Capitals (DC), who like the Royal Challengers Bangalore, would be worried about having peaked too early into the competition.
SRH have had it all going for them in the past few games. Their openers have often gotten them to strong opening stands, and whenever they have failed, the experience of Kane Williamson has come into play. Their bowlers are picking wickets upfront, Rashid is getting them wickets in the middle overs. Jason Holder’s addition has done wonders to the bowling as well as the batting prowess of the squad.
For Delhi however, things have gone into a downward spiral as they find themselves looking for answers to problems which now seem never ending. Kagiso Rabada has gone wicketless in three of the last four outings, and the third pacer problem suddenly looks a very daunting one. What does Stoinis do, does he stabilize and play long or go explosive? He is but one man, can’t do it all.
Apart from Rabada and Nortje, the other 6 pacers that have been given a go by the capitals have a tally of 7 wickets at a miserable economy rate of 10.05. That itself is a testimony to how the brilliance of these two has hidden that gaping hole in this attack.
What would worry DC more is that SRH have managed to get the better DC on both occasions in the league phase and if they do win this one, they face Mumbai Indians, who have already beaten them thrice this year. Talk about PRESSURE!
SRH’s only possible change is if Wriddhiman Saha is fit. Delhi however, might ponder upon getting in Indian pacer back in and in turn accommodating Shimron Hetmeyer back in the squad. They desperately need his hitting prowess at the back end. If they do choose to go this route, out-of-form Prithvi Shaw might have to face the axe.
Likely 11s:
SRH: David Warner, Shreevats Goswami/Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Priyam Garg, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Shabaz Nadeem, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma
DC: Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane/Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje
