IPL 2020, Eliminator: Pitch report, stats and more
Sunrisers Hyderabad will lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2020 Eliminator. Notably, the all-important fixture will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. While the RCB managed to seal the qualification berth after four consecutive defeats, SRH will be high on confidence, having won their final three league matches. Here is the pitch report.
A look at the pitch and conditions
As the tournament has progressed, the wicket on this venue has become more balanced for both batsmen and bowlers. The fast bowlers are able to fetch decent movement off the pitch, with spinners doing the damage in the middle phase. Meanwhile, the surface also allows the batsmen to play on the up. In the upcoming game, the temperature will hover around 30 degrees Celsius.
Teams tend to chase with dew setting in
It is interesting to note that the dew started to surface toward the business end of the ongoing IPL season, in Abu Dhabi. This has made the chase relatively easier here. Notably, the last five fixtures have been won by the chasing team.
How the two teams have fared on this venue?
As of now, Sunrisers Hyderabad have played only three games at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. They have won here once, with one game going to the Super Over (vs Kolkata Knight Riders). On the other hand, this will be the fifth game for Royal Challengers Bangalore here. They have won two and lost as many in Abu Dhabi, so far.
Key learnings from the previous games
In the last five encounters at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, the teams batting second have had the advantage. Out of five, the RCB have been on the receiving end twice (vs MI and DC). The highest first-innings total was put up by Mumbai Indians (195/5 vs Rajasthan Royals). Interestingly, RR registered the highest second-innings total in the same game, chasing 196.
Here are the venue stats (T20s)
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium has hosted a total number of 31 T20s so far. Notably, the teams batting second have won 18 of them. The average first-innings total on this venue is 156. Meanwhile, the highest first-innings score is 205/4 (CSK vs KXIP, 2014).
SRH vs RCB: What to expect?
The upcoming game between SRH and RCB is expected to be a cracker. Both the teams have beaten each other once in the league stage and carry the required strength to sail through. Besides, all eyes will be on the contest between pace spearhead Sandeep Sharma and RCB skipper Virat Kohli. The former has dismissed Kohli a record seven times in the IPL.
