IPL 2023, SRH vs LSG preview: SRH eye LSG scalp to stay afloat

Sunrisers look to fire on all cylinders agianst Super Giants

Hyderabad: Desperate for a win to stay afloat in the race for playoffs, Sunrisers Hyderabad hope to fire on all cylinders when they host Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday.

With eight points from 10 games, the 2016 champions are at the penultimate position in the points table. However, they are not yet out of the playoffs race. The victories in the next four matches can take them to 16 points that would seal them a place in the playoffs.

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However, the immediate target for the Hyderabad franchise is to get two points from their clash against Super Giants who are at the fifth place in the points table with 11 points from 11 games.

Sunrisers will feel more confident coming into the match after recording a thrilling last-ball victory over Rajasthan Royals in their previous game, where Glenn Phillips and Abdul Samad deliver the goods.

On the other hand, Super Giants come into this clash on the back of a demoralising 56-run loss against defending champions Gujarat Titans.

The form of Abhishek Sharma, who is the only batter to hit two half-centuries for them in the season, is a welcome sign. He will open with Anmolpreet Singh. However, Mayank Agarwal is yet to play an impactful innings. Though Rahul Tripathi did his part in the previous game with a 29-ball 47 he needs to show consistency while captain Aiden Markram has to bring his top game.

Heinrich Klaasen has been in fine form and his contribution is immense for another favourable result. Phillips, who replaced Harry Brook after his extended poor run, played a game-changing innings for Sunrisers against Rajasthan Royals. Samad, who has been under scanner for not proving his abilities, will be in a good frame of mind after taking his side to victory with a last-ball six in the last match.

The bowling department, led by veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, needs to fire in unison. While Marco Jansen is leaking runs in the previous few matches, T Natarajan is doing a decent job. After an unforgettable outing (51/0), leg-spinner Mayank Markande looks to return to form.

On the other hand, Super Giants too are desperate for a win to brighten their playoffs hopes. In the absence of KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya is leading the side. They have a strong batting unit with the likes of Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock at the top while the presence of Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni lends a solid look to the unit. They are capable of tearing apart the best of the bowling units on their day.

The bowling, however, is a worrying factor after their lacklustre show against Titans. Pacers Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, spinners Krunal and Ravi Bishnoi, all went for runs against Titans. They look to forget the thrashing and start afresh. However, with Hyderabad pitch assisting spinners this season, Bishnoi and super sub Amit Mishra will have their task cut out.