Sunrisers, Kings XI look to keep slump at bay
Match facts
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kings XI Punjab
Hyderabad, April 17, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
Head to head
Overall: Sunrisers Hyderabad go into the tie leading 6-2 and are chasing their fifth consecutive win against Kings XI Punjab. At home, Sunrisers lead the head-to-head 3-1.
Last season: Sunrisers won both games, including a final-over finish in Chandigarh, where Kings XI lost despite a supreme 96 from Hashim Amla.
In the news
Kings XI captain Glenn Maxwell made it clear after their 51-run loss to Delhi Daredevils that "everything was a weakness" and that it was getting to the point where he would have to pick "uncapped players", perhaps indicating the seniors weren't performing up to potential. David Miller and Eoin Morgan might not feel too comfortable with their places in the XI too if Martin Guptill and Shaun Marsh have recovered from injuries.
Mustafizur Rahman was left out of the Sunrisers XI last match, but it would be surprising to not see him return considering his success in Hyderabad - seven wickets at 25.85 and an economy rate of 6.96 in the IPL. Last year, he also picked up 2 for 9 in four overs against Kings XI. It could all mean Ben Cutting, who has been good but not extraordinary, getting the axe.
The likely XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 David Warner (capt), 3 Moises Henriques, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Naman Ojha (wk), 7 Ben Cutting/Mustafizur Rahman, 8 Bipul Sharma, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Rashid Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra
Kings XI Punjab 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Manan Vohra, 3 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Glenn Maxwell (capt), 6 David Miller, 7 Axar Patel, 8 KC Cariappa, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Sandeep Sharma
Strategy punt
- Sunrisers' spin threat Rashid Khan, who usually bowls early in the innings, could be saved to bowl to Maxwell and Miller later on since they have never faced him before.
- Sandeep Sharma, who has dismissed Warner twice in the Powerplays before, may get an extended spell in the first six overs.
Stats that matter
- Sunrisers have a 10-1 record while chasing at home. Overall, chasing teams have lost only two of the last ten games played there.
- David Warner's form against Kings XI is superlative. He has scored half-centuries - 52, 59, 81, 58 - in each of his last four matches.
- In IPL 2017, spin has dominated the first innings of matches in Hyderabad. Pacers conceded 266 runs off 162 balls (economy of 9.85) in the first innings while spinner conceded only 76 runs off 78 balls (5.84).
- Hashim Amla's fondness for Ashish Nehra's bowling is displayed by his exemplary numbers against the fast bowler: in ODIs, he has 77 runs in 48 balls and in IPL, he has scored 25 runs off 11 deliveries.
- Rashid Khan has bowled inside the Powerplay in every IPL game this season. He has also taken a wicket off his first over every time.
- Sunrisers wicketkeeper Naman Ojha has been in an extended rut in the IPL. He averaged 13.60 and 13.70 in the last two seasons with a highest score of only 37.