Sunrisers Hyderabad takes on Kings XI Punjab, two sides that are locked in the middle of the table with 3 wins and 2 losses. Both these sides have similar problems, both have the arsenal to outfox the other but will now have to hold their nerve during critical moments.
Both captains will have to identify players and then devise strategies accordingly. Also, for all the fantasy players out there, we have few tips in store for you.
Predicted XI for both the sides:
SRH: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow(w), Vijay Shankar, Ricky Bhui, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar(c), Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul
KXIP: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami
Fantasy tips and suggestions
Wicketkeeper: This one is a tough choice to make. Both KL Rahul and Jonny Bairstow are in superb form and on a true Mohali pitch, both will be licking their lips to take strike. However, KL Rahul has struggled to get going against Rashid Khan and has been already dismissed twice by the leggie, which makes Jonny Bairstow a more lucrative pick.
Batsmen: Chris Gayle is in good nick, but then in Sandeep Sharma, SRH has a bowler who has troubled him a lot in the past. Sandeep has accounted for Gayle 4 times in previous seasons, and with a new swinging ball, he can take care of the Jamaican. Hence, instead of Gayle, a more rampant David Warner should be picked. Also, Sarfaraz Khan should be in the eleven along with Mayank Agarwal, as both these players have been consistent and know their roles better. David Miller has not been getting enough game time, but he is also due for a big score, hence should be in the playing XI.
All-rounders: Sam Curran, who picked up a hat-trick at this ground, is an automatic pick. Also, Mohammad Nabi continues to impress for SRH and should be a good pick for this match with his bowling and batting prowess.
Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is slowly getting back into his rhythm and with the additional responsibility of captaincy, he can be a good pick. Also, Andrew Tye always picks up wickets, as do Rashid Khan and Siddarth Kaul. We will leave out R Ashwin as he will be up against two in-form players in David Warner and Jonny Bairstow and might not be as effective on this Mohali surface.
