SRH vs DD IPL 2018 Match 36 preview: Delhi face uphill battle against table toppers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Daredevils (DD) will face off for the first time in this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday.

SRH sit pretty right at the top of the points table while Delhi who are second from bottom need to win every game if they aim to make it to the playoff spots.

SRH come into this game having defended another low total in their previous game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). After being restricted to just 151 in their 20 overs, the SRH bowlers put in another stunning performance to restrict the Royals to just 140/6 and win the tie by 11 runs. Sandeep Sharma was exceptional as he picked up a wicket and ended the night with an economy of 3.75.

DD will enter this game on a high after a thrilling victory against similar opposition, the Rajasthan Royals in a rain-affected game. Delhi riding on a whirlwind knock by Rishabh Pant (69 off 29 balls) went on to post 198 in 17.1 overs. RR were given a revised total of 151 to chase in 12 overs but fell short by just four runs thanks to some brilliant bowling by Trent Boult and co.

Match Details:

Timing – 8 pm

Venue – Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

Where to watch – Star Sports 1 & Star Sports 1 HD

Head to Head: Out of the ten time that these two teams have faced each other, Sunrisers hold a slight edge having won on six occasions as compared to Delhi’s four victories.

Team news: 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar who missed the previous two games due to a back injury could be expected to feature again for SRH. If he comes back, Basil Thampi who was expensive in the previous game might be forced to make way.

While Delhi do not have any major injury issues yet the management may look to tweak things a little as there is no margin for error. Opener Munro who was out for a ‘golden duck’ against Rajasthan could make way for Jason Roy. Shahbaz Nadeem who was ineffective, could also make way for Rahul Tewatia in the playing 11.

Prediction: Who will win?

With a much-improved performance both with bat and ball in their previous game, Delhi could be expected to edge out another win this evening. With every game a virtual quarterfinal, the team know they cannot afford any slip ups and will have to be on the top of their game. However, in Hyderabad the Delhi batsmen will face their sternest test yet.

Betting odds: According to Oddschecker.com, the odds are placed at 3/4 for SRH and 6/5 for DD.

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report: The pitch in Hyderabad has proved tricky to bat on due to its two-paced nature. So far, Chennai are the only visiting team who has been able to go past the 150-run mark at the venue. The track also slows down giving spinners an edge later into the game.

MC Dream 11: R Pant (wk), K Williamson, P Shaw, S Iyer, S Dhawan, G Maxwell, S Hasan, T Boult, A Mishra, B Kumar and S Kaul.

Players to watch out for:

Kane Williamson (SRH) – The SRH skipper has done brilliantly to take his team to the top especially in the light of David Warner’s ban from the IPL. He already has 322 runs to his name and has crossed the fifty-run mark four times in just eight games.

Rishabh Pant (DD) – The young wicketkeeper has 375 runs to his name this season and is currently second on the list of leading run scorers. He has a total of 148 runs coming at a strike rate of 200.0 from his previous two outings. His whirlwind knock of 69 off just 29 balls against Rajasthan will be something the SRH bowlers will definitely have looked at.

IPL Points Table: 

Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently right at the top of the table, tied on 12 points with Chennai but ahead due to their net run rate. They will be looking to extend their lead when they take on Delhi. DD, on the other hand, are second from bottom and another loss will spell the end of their hopes of making the playoffs. Check out the updated points table here.