Having seen Mumbai Indians pick up a win against CSK last night, the Sunrisers Hyderabad will know the importance of two points when they play the Delhi Daredevils in Raipur on Saturday.
SRH are one of plenty still grappling for a playoff spot, probably the fourth and final one, with CSK, RR and KKR looking nailed-on for the top three positions. With just a handful of games remaining, every single one of those teams will know they can't afford a slip-up.
The Sunrisers have built a bit of momentum, winning three of their last four matches, which has them currently in sixth with ten points in 10 games. A win against the Delhi Daredevils, whose chances of a playoff spot are pretty much gone, will take them level with MI, who are currently in fourth on 12 points.
SRH made an interesting decision in their last game, keeping both Trent Boult and Dale Steyn on the bench to beef-up their middle order. It seemed to work as the batsmen went past 200 in the first innings, which was just about enough to get the better of the Rajasthan Royals.
"We played what was the best combination for the game and it was important," SRH opener Shikhar Dhawan told the IPL's official website. "Ravi Bopara bowled well. He picked the right wickets at the right time and bowled economically, so that makes a difference.
"You do miss the presence of bowlers like Steyn and Boult on the field of course but sometimes there are situations where you have to do what needs to be done. We had to strengthen our batting as it hadn't done so well in the last game. We can rely on our bowling because they have been doing well. So we did this."
That decision, however, did weaken the bowling, with RR only falling short y seven runs. Ishant Sharma still looks like he needs to learn the art of limited-overs bowling, and with Praveen Kumar having an off day it did put a bit of pressure on David Warner to find the right bowling combinations.
However, SRH will take heart from their batting, with Eoin Morgan playing a brilliant knock to give the innings the impetus that was needed after a quick start. Morgan could be the key to SRH making the playoffs or just missing out, and Tom Moody will certainly hope the Irishman continues to lead from the front in the middle order.
"I think slowly the boys are getting into the rhythm," Dhawan added. "There are still a few games left, although it should have happened a little earlier. The next match is against the Delhi Daredevils in Raipur where the wicket is a bit seaming and bouncy which suits our batsmen well. Also in Hyderabad the wicket is good.
"At the same time our bowlers have been bowling well towards the end which is our strength. They have been doing that consistently. And now another good thing is that our middle-order is scoring more consistently as well."
DD failed to produce the right chase in a must-win game against KKR on Thursday, which pretty much ended their interest in the competition. With just eight points in 11 games, three wins in their last three will only get them to 14 points, and it does look like that will not be enough. Pride, though, will be at stake, and DD will want to give their home fans as much to smile about as possible.
Where to Watch Live
Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad is scheduled to begin at 8 pm IST (10.30 am ET, 3.30 pm BST) with live coverage in India on Sony Six, Sony Kix, Sony Max and Sony Aath. Starsports.com and Hotstar will provide the online live streaming option for viewers in India.
Audience in the US can catch all the IPL 2015 action live on ESPN, while the live stream option is on ESPN Cricket. Sky Sports is the place to go to watch DD vs SRH Live in the UK and Europe, while the match can also be live streamed on Sky Go and Watch Sky Sports.
Viewers across the world can go to Cricketgateway.com to watch the match.
