Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) have been brilliant in IPL 2017 so far. Both the teams are in the Playoff race, but their qualification is not yet confirmed, and it could go down to the wire. Hence, SRH and RPS will go all out for a win when they meet each other at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Just one point separates Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL 2017 points table. RPS are on 14 points while SRH have accumulated 13, as they lie on the third and fourth place, respectively.
RPS can jump to the second spot with a win, and if their net run rate improves drastically, they can even go to the top of the table. But toppers Mumbai Indians will also play in the second match of the day. Hence, the rankings could change with the outcome of these two games on Saturday.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad have always been consistent, and the brilliance of David Warner helped them win some matches in IPL 2017. Now, Kane Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan are also getting into the mood and scoring runs. These are all ominous signs for the defending champions.
Not only has their batting line-up been superb, but their bowlers have also been one of the best in IPL 2017. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan as their key wicket takers, SRH have been able to restrict teams and also defend scores. So, it should not really matter if they defend or chase, but they will be aware of the fact that batting second seems to have been the winning formula on IPL 2017.
Though Sunrisers Hyderabad have been brilliant, they meet a confident Rising Pune Supergiant unit. RPS have won six of their last seven matches, which is incredible, looking at the ever-so-competitive league.
One of the biggest reasons for their success has been Rahul Tripathi's batting as he has been the most consistent batsman for RPS. However, there is a serious need for the big guns such as Steve Smith and Ajinkya Rahane to fire. One cannot depend on such a youngster to score day in and day out.
The biggest problem for RPS has been the form of Rahane, who is yet to hit top gear in the competition. Though Tripathi has rescued the team out of trouble many times, Rahane's performance will make a world of difference to this team, which has some incredible hitters like Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni, who have both showed their skills so far.
Their bowling looks a tad weak as compared to the batting. Imran Tahir is their best bet for wickets, but their bowling department has also been strengthened with some impressive performance from Jaydev Unadkat.
It is time for RPS bowlers and batsmen to come up with a collective performance to beat SRH and climb up on the table.
When and where to watch live
SRH vs RPS is set to begin at 4pm IST. TV and live streaming information can be found below.
India: TV: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD, Sony Max. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
UK: TV: Sky Sports Mix. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
