Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI: Statistical preview and pitch report
Sunrisers Hyderabad are gearing up to welcome the high flying Kings XI Punjab to the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad for match number 25 of 2018 IPL. A win tonight would take Kings XI to the top of the table, but Kane Williamson's men will be no pushovers. Here is our pre-match report.
Will Sandeep Sharma get the better of Gayle again?
Sandeep Sharma has got the better of Chris Gayle 4 times in 49 balls. Moreover, against Gayle, he has conceded just 55 runs. Only Ashwin has bagged Gayle's wicket in IPL as often as Sandeep. Gayle has scored 119 runs off just 82 balls by Sunrisers premier bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The West Indian has lost his wicket just once to the seamer.
Best batting line up against the best bowling attack
KXIP are the most dangerous batting side in the powerplay. Kings XI have scored at a flabbergasting rate of 10.31 runs an over. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad hold the feat for conceding less than seven runs an over during the first 6 overs. SRH also have the lowest run-rate among all sides, scoring at a rate of 7.85 per over.
The Manish Pandey vs Axar Patel battle
Axar Patel has managed to tame Manish Pandey over the years. Pandey has scored just 23 runs off 39 balls by Axar. The left-arm spinner has bagged his wicket twice and conceded just one boundary.
Kings XI are better off without Finch tonight
Aaron Finch might be one of the best when it comes to T20s, but he has been a disappointment this season. Finch has had troubles against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan, scoring just 33 runs off 37 balls against Bhuvi and losing his wicket twice. Against Rashid, he has managed just 15 runs off 8 balls while being dismissed twice.
Is it Mohit's day to shine tonight?
Mohit Sharma has claimed 14 wickets against SRH, which is the most by any player. He has bagged these wickets in 11 games at an average of 9.46. Ashwin has bagged only 5 wickets against the Sunrisers in 8 encounters. Sunrisers have the worst record when it comes to death overs as their batsmen have the highest dot-ball percentage (40.4) at the death.
Bhuvi is at his brutal best against Kings XI
Bhuvi is Kings XI Punjab's biggest nemesis with 21 wickets in 12 games against them. The swing ace averages 15 against them and has bagged 8 wickets in 4 games at Hyderabad against KXIP. KL Rahul has been in red-hot form for SRH and is just shy of 39 runs to reach the 1,000 run mark in the IPL.
High scoring contest on the cards
The rain gods have decided to stay away tonight but the weather will provide no respite to the players. The summer is here and the temperature in Hyderabad has hit 39 degrees. The high scoring trend is likely to continue tonight as the flat track will not have anything much for the bowlers, making it a batsman's paradise.
