SRH aim to seal that playoff spot against eliminated GT

Gujarat Titans saw their season slowly ending before a jam-packed crowd in Ahmedabad. It was the most painful of experiences, especially after the hope that began to grow following a sizzling win over Chennai Super Kings on May 10 (Friday).

Now that their season is over, GT’s powers grow beyond recognition. They have the ultimate power of spoiling others’ qualification chances, starting with the batting behemoths Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 16 (Thursday).

SRH traumatized their opposition, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in their previous clash, chasing 166 in 9.4 overs. There are statements, and then there is SRH, whose batting has this video game-y element attached. 

While their captain is shushing crowds around the country, their batting unit makes all the right noises—a deadly combination. 

Qualification is right in front of them; can they carpe diem it? 

SRH vs GT Head-to-Head

Overall: Matches 4 | SRH 1 | GT 3

Last Three appearances: SRH 0 | GT 3

Venue Details and weather conditions

Let’s not joke around, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal is quite a batting paradise. In five matches this season, teams that have batted first have always had an advantage at the venue. 

However, the script flipped the other night when LSG were traumatised by SRH after deciding to bat first. The average first-innings score is 203/4, but if you have to win at the venue, you need at least 228/4. 

Pacers are still the king of the jungle, with 33 wickets (73.3%) at the venue. Bowling spin might just prove to be harmful. There are some chances of rainfall, but the percentage is quite low at around 20%. So, expect a full clash in Hyderabad on Thursday. 

Things to watch out for

GT bowlers vs SRH openers, a battle worth it

There are openers, and there are good openers, and then there are Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. The duo have played with fire throughout the season and have burned several bowling units alive. In 12 innings, they have amassed 723 runs, averaging 60.3, with two 50-run stands and three 100-run stands. 

When you filter it down to just Hyderabad, they have been quite a menace for the opposition - 309 runs in 127 balls - averaging 77.3 while striking at 243.3. 

It is evident that whenever they fail at the top of the order, SRH have a tough time raking up the runs. There's almost a 200-run difference between them and the second-best partnership for SRH in Hyderabad. 

On a true batting surface, it is imperative for Gujarat to pick up early wickets. They would want to pick up from their previous display against Chennai Super Kings, where they picked up three wickets in the first six-over phase. 

SRH need to improve their death-over bowling

SRH are one win away from sealing a spot in the playoffs. Given their rampant form, it is just a matter of when for the 2016 IPL champions. But even if they do qualify for the playoffs, one area of concern has been potentially brewing for some time. 

That is their death bowling. In the last five-over phase, SRH’s bowling unit have the highest economy rate in this year’s competition, at 12.4. It isn’t just a matter of their economy rate; there is also a concern over their wicket-taking ability at the death.

If you look at it closely, SRH have only picked up 18 wickets at the death, two fewer than LSG, who are at the bottom. Come the playoffs, it is one area that could potentially harm their chances. 

Probable XIs

SRH’s XI: Travis Head, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan, Abhishek Sharma (IP)

GT’s XI: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Matthew Wade (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Kartik Tyagi, Sandeep Warrier (IP)

TV and streaming details

The match will begin at 7:30 PM and will be streamed and telecasted on Jio Cinema and Star Sports.

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