High-flying Titans aim to extend unbeaten run against SRH

A couple of nights ago, the near-capacity crowd at the Brabourne Stadium was enthralled to one of the most dramatic games in this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the Gujarat Titans edged past the Punjab Kings by six wickets after a cliffhanger. 

Mumbai is known as the City of Dreams, and on a Friday night, in the land famous for Bollywood bigwigs, it was fittingly a 'Rahul', who turned out to be the hero in one of the most riveting games in the history of the league. With 12 required off the final two deliveries, the southpaw smashed two sixes to send Titans' fans into a tizzy. 

On the other hand, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have finally managed to get off the mark in this edition of the extravaganza after suffering twin losses early in their campaign. 

Under scorching Mumbai heat, the team unearthed a star in Abhishek Sharma as he anchored the run chase with a sublime 75 to guide the team over the line against defending champions Chennai Super Kings. 

They will be keen to halt Gujarat's momentum and drive the Monday Blues away at the DY Patil Stadium. Here are some of the potential deciding factors of this encounter:

Focus on Rashid Khan

One of the vital cogs in the playing XI for the Hyderabad outfit for the past five years has been Rashid Khan. The leg spinner made his debut for the franchise in 2017 and is second in the list of leading wicket-taker for the Orange Army with 93 wickets, behind Bhuvnheshwar Kumar. 

However, things will be slightly different this time around as the 23-year old will be up against his former team after being picked up by the Titans in the player drafts ahead of the mega auctions.  

While he has been one of the most lethal bowlers in this format of the game, Rashid will be up against Kane Williamson, who is known to play the spinners well. 

In the IPL, the right-handed batter has scored 289 runs in 41 innings at an average of 41.3 and will hold the key for SRH.

Opening conundrum for Sunrisers

And speaking of Williamson and the impact he can have, there will be one area of concern for the skipper himself and the team management. 

While Abhishek has found form and was at his best in the last clash against the Super Kings, Williamson's dismal returns with the bat and the strike rate at which he goes about his business can add a lot of pressure on the team, especially in the powerplay. 

In pursuit of 155 runs, the Kiwi batter crawled his way to 32 off 40 deliveries at a strike rate of 80, which is the lowest for a Hyderabad batter with a minimum of 35 balls. 

While there ain't any doubt about the anchor role he plays for the team, especially with young and inexperienced batters around, the team management can be tempted to use the services of Rahul Tripathi to open with Abhishek. 

The right-hander smashed an unbeaten 39 off 15 deliveries studded with five boundaries and two hits over the fence to power the team over the line against CSK. 

Tripathi has been in scintillating form and has a strike rate of 172.9, which SRH can use to maximize the field restrictions and get off to a flying start. 

Mohammad Shami's impressive run 

While the Orange Army would be hoping to score some quick runs in the powerplay, they would be up against a bowling unit led by Mohammad Shami, who has been phenomenal in the three matches played thus far.

While Shami wreaked havoc in their Titans' against the Lucknow Super Giants, he has a fellow pacer, coming from the land of the Kiwis, who has been making the noises for all the right reasons.

Even before the commencement of the tournament, Shubman Gill stated that, Lockie Ferguson would be the X-factor for the Titans. And guess what, the 22-year is not wrong as Ferguson has been one of the standout bowlers for the side. 

In the three overs bowled during that phase, Ferguson has picked three wickets at an economy rate of 6 runs per over, while Shami has conceded at an economy rate of 6.4 runs per over. Their exploits with the new ball early in the innings has often stifled the opposition and powered the Titans through to a win. 

Despite the two teams being on the opposite ends of the spectrum, it promises to be a high-voltage clash with a plethora of stars on either side set to dazzle the stage with their exhilarating skills.

Probable XI:

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), B Sai Sudharshan, Hardik Pandya (Captain), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Darshan Nalkande

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Kane Williamson (Captain), Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran(w), Shashank Singh, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, T Natarajan.