(Cricket news) In the 2024 Indian Premier League, the SRH batsmen have written and rewritten history. Prior to this season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 263 for 5 in 2013 was the greatest team total in the Indian Premier League. This season, SRH has surpassed that threshold three times.
With a partnership run rate of 13.65 (minimum 10 stands), Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma are the most lethal duo in IPL history, and they built up such enormous totals. Due to their aggressive playmaking, SRH is the only club this season to score 100 points or more during a powerplay, a feat they have accomplished twice. And that’s not even talking about Heinrich Klaasen, who is possibly the best T20 batter of the last 12 months.
RR’s batting line-up may not be as destructive but they have one of the best bowling units: a left-arm swinger at the top, two world-class spinners in the middle and two wily seamers at the death. The battle between their bowlers and SRH’s batters could decide who moves to the final.
SRH, who had finished second in the league stage, are coming from a loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1, while RR will be buoyed by their win against RCB in the Eliminator. However, neither team had a good time when they last played in Chennai. Chasing 213 against Chennai Super Kings, SRH folded for a mere 134. When RR came here two weeks ago, they could manage only 141 for 5 batting first and went on to lose by five wickets.
Form guide
Rajasthan Royals WLLLL mbination for Royals in Chennai?
Team news and Impact Player strategy
Rajasthan Royals
The slow nature of the Chepauk pitch may make Keshav Maharaj a tempting third-spinner option for RR. But if they are bowling first, Maharaj’s inclusion could mean rejigging their overseas combo, and one wonders if they’d go even risk going in with just two seam-bowling options in a must-win.
But if they are batting first, they can start with three overseas players, and bring in either Powell or Maharaj as the Impact Player depending on their progress.
Probable XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Rovman Powell/Keshav Maharaj, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal
Sunrisers Hyderabad
If SRH want to strengthen their batting, they can bring in either Aiden Markram or Glenn Phillips for Vijayakanth Viyaskanth. Both Markram and Phillips can chip in with their offspin. Mayank Markande could be their legspinner in that case, replacing Sanvir Singh.
If they are batting first, they too can start with only three overseas players: Head, Klaasen and the captain Pat Cummins. Depending on how it goes, they can either bring in Phillips or Viyaskanth.
Probable XII: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram/Glenn Phillips/Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, 5 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shahbaz Ahmed, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Mayank Markande, 12 T Natarajan
Sunrisers Hyderabad LWWLW
Previous meeting
It was a last-ball thriller when they met earlier this month. Chasing 202, RR needed two from one ball but Rovman Powell failed to put away a full toss from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and was lbw. Before that, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s unbeaten 76 off 42, backed by Head’s fifty and Klaasen’s 42 not out, gave SRH a competitive total. In response, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag scored half-centuries but RR fell just short.
