SRH and KXIP will battle it out in an IPL 2016 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, yet again, could be the difference between victory and defeat, even if, on paper and on form, the Sunrisers Hyderabad go into this match against the Kings XI Punjab as the favourites.
With the Sunrisers picking up two wins in a row and this match being held in front of their own fans, they will fancy their chances, but then IPL matches rarely go according to form, making a prediction of the match, even more difficult.
However, here goes a prediction of the SRH vs KXIP IPL 2016 match in Hyderabad.
If SRH bat first: David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan give the Sunrisers a strong start as the Kings XI opening bowlers get taken for plenty. However, after that smart start, the Sunrisers lose their way a little, losing three wickets for 20-odd runs to bring KXIP back into the game. Eoin Morgan and Deepak Hooda, though, rescue the situation with a brilliant partnership to take SRH to 170.
Kings XI Punjab do not begin their chase well as Manan Vohra gets out to a rash shot to Barinder Sran. Murali Vijay and Shaun Marsh keep the runs flowing, leaving David Miller and Glenn Maxwell to score at around 11-12 runs an over in the final eight overs for the win. Miller and Maxwell put on a brilliant partnership, taking the equation down to 30 from the last three, but from there, KXIP lose their way again as Mustafizur Rahman bowls a brilliant penultimate over to give Sunrisers a close win.
If KXIP bat first: Vohra gets off to a searing start, scoring 30 off 15 balls, before falling to Mustafizur. Vijay also goes soon after, but Marsh is there to steady the ship along with Wriddhiman Saha. Bipul Sharma picks up the wicket of Saha and Miller, leaving the Aussies Marsh and Maxwell to combine together quite nicely to get KXIP past the 150 mark.
Warner and Dhawan begin strong, before the SRH skipper falls in the third over of the innings. However, Dhawan, with confidence returning after an unbeaten half-century in the last match, stays at the crease, anchoring the chase quite well. Moises Henriques, Morgan and Naman Ojha chip in during the chase as SRH scamper home with a little under two overs to spare to complete a hat-trick of victories.
