FANTASY
Follow UsWith every team getting some shift in momentum from the first half to the second half, two teams are still jet-lagged from the first half. In match 37, those two teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings lock horns in search of some serenity. Punjab, in their only match in the second half bottled up a chase by two runs and Hyderabad are in a desperate search fpr some spark, either from batting or bowling. Both teams are languishing at the bottom of the table, with Hyderabad being the footers.
Something that can lift the morale of Hyderabad in their upcoming match against Punjab, is their head-to-head record against them. In 17 matches, Hyderabad have won 12 with a win percentage of 70.5, the best against the current teams. In the last five matches as well, Hyderabad have won three, including the reverse leg.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Overall: Matches – 17 | SRH – 12 wins | PBKS – 5 wins
Last five matches: SRH – 3 wins | PBKS – 2 wins
SUGGESTED TEAM
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Based on your preferences, the platform will guide you to create the ideal fantasy XI.
GROUND DETAILS
Among the three venues in UAE, Sharjah Cricket Stadium is the smallest and boundaries flow like water. However, there is a catch. The pitch behaved in two different ways in IPL 2020. For the first half, teams were scoring at 9.7 runs and the average first innings score was around the 209 run mark. But, in the last six matches, the average first innings score dropped to 147 and run rate to 8.
When it comes to pace and spin comparison, it is the same story. Pacers have managed to bag the most percentage of wickets (72.2%) as compared to the spinners (27.8%). In terms of early strikes, pacers have picked up wickets at a balls/dismissal ratio of 19.6 as compared to 28.2 by spinners. But, unlike other venues, pacers (8.9) and spinners (8.4) have almost equal terms in the economy.
SUGGESTED CAPTAIN
Who other than KL Rahul can be the preferable choice of captain when he is in the playing XI. With 380 runs to his name in the IPL 2021, Rahul is behind Shikhar Dhawan in the race for the Orange Cap. He has played an innings lesser than Dhawan and scored those 380 runs at an average of 63.3. Rahul’s consistency is what makes him the first-choice captain material in fantasy.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts, Rahul could score 35-53 runs against Hyderabad
X-FACTORS
Rahul’s deputy in command also has been exceptional since the last two years. Mayank Agarwal started off from where he had left in the first half with a well-made 67 against Rajasthan Royals. To go along with his skipper, Mayank has scored 320 runs at an average of 46.7 and a better strike rate of 144.1. In the two matches he played last year in Sharjah, Mayank scored 151 runs at a strike rate of 201.3.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts, Mayank could score 58-86 runs against Hyderabad
The young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has shouldered the burden of picking up wickets for Punjab in IPL 2021 and he has been exceptional. With 12 wickets in the season, he is the highest wicket taker for Punjab. He has picked up those wickets at a balls/wicket ratio of 11.2. Among bowlers with five or more wickets in this season, only Andre Russell (9.6) and Harshal Patel (10.6) have bettered him.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts, Arshdeep could pick up 0-1 wickets against Hyderabad
The Afghan magician Rashid Khan, had a match to forget against Delhi, by his standards, that is. But, he is one of the silver linings among the Hyderabad bowlers. In this season, he is the highest wicket taker for Hyderabad with 11 wickets. Whereas, no other bowler from the Hyderabad unit has picked up more than 5. The mystery spinner is for sure a hot-pick.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts, Rashid could pick 0-1 wickets against Punjab