Sunrisers Hyderabad seek revival against dominant Rajasthan Royals

Sunrisers Hyderabad face unbeaten Rajasthan Royals in an IPL clash at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. With SRH struggling in bowling and Royals powered by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the match promises a stern test for the home side

Hyderabad: Former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad have won only one game (against Kolkata Knight Riders) batting first in the four matches they played this IPL season, two of those defeats coming despite setting a target of over 200.

It will be a royal battle featuring explosive openers — Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma for Sunrisers, and Yashasvi Jaiswal along with teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals — when the two teams clash at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday night.

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There is something seriously wrong with the bowling, especially with pace ace and Australian captain Pat Cummins ruled out for the first few games. None of the pace bowlers have responded well to the team’s needs so far. The exception has been left-arm spinner Shivang Kumar, who even against Punjab Kings managed a highly creditable three-wicket haul.

So, when Sunrisers take on the unbeaten Rajasthan Royals (winners of all four games so far), it should be another serious test for the home team’s bowling at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

It is clear in this edition that even a total of 220 cannot be assumed safe to defend given the kind of sensational starts openers have been giving, especially Royals and Punjab Kings. Sunrisers need to stem the rot and regain the winning touch which once made them formidable. Discipline in bowling, sticking to the field settings, and adapting to batter-friendly pitches will be crucial.

The middle order too needs to raise the bar and not waste balls despite the openers providing a strong launchpad.

On the other hand, all eyes will be on 15-year-old Suryavanshi, whose fearless hitting has already made headlines. If Sunrisers fail to dismiss him early, they could be in trouble. Royals also have Jaiswal at the top, Dhruv Jurel for stability, followed by Shimron Hetmyer, captain Riyan Parag, and Ravindra Jadeja. Their bowling has been consistent with Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger and Sandeep Sharma handling pace, while Ravi Bishnoi and Jadeja strengthen the spin attack.

Clearly, testing times for the bowlers!