Sunrisers Hyderabad will be fighting for survival in the Indian Premier League when they face leaders Rajasthan Royals in a crunch match at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
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Having won three of their last five matches, Hyderabad seem to have peaked at the right time, because they will have to win at least three of their last five matches to have any chance of becoming one of the top four teams in the table, and hence qualify for the play-offs.
But Hyderabad are coming off a crippling 35-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders, where they were bamboozled by paceman Umesh Yadav and spinner Brad Hogg.
Hyderabad have eight points from nine matches, while Royals are leading the table alongside Chennai Super Kings on 14 points. None of the teams have guaranteed place in the play-offs, so both the teams have everything to play for in the match.
On the other hand, a win for Royals would go a long way in ensuring their spot in the last four. They have played 11 matches – one more than Chennai – and their remaining two matches are against the two other strongest teams this season – Super Kings and Knight Riders.
Royals have been unlucky to have had two no results in their last three matches after rain disrupted their matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders.
The team just goes through the drills, and are in good shape ahead of the @rajasthanroyals tomorrow #SRH #OrangeArmy pic.twitter.com/NuZafVh0rI
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 6, 2015
The win over Delhi Daredevils, by 14 runs at Brabourne on Sunday, would have surely given them a lot of confidence.
The Shane Watson-led squad are heavily dependent on their skipper and the consistent Ajinkya Rahane, who has been holding on to the Orange Cap for some time now, when it comes to batting.
Australia’s Steve Smith hasn’t exactly fired after an early knock of 79 against Mumbai Indians. It’s been a similar story with Hyderabad, who have suffered because of their batting beyond openers David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan.
But in Dale Steyn, Trent Boult, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Praveen Kumar, they have one of the finest fast-bowling attack and they will have to shoulder the responsibility once again.
