The 15th season of the Tata IPL is nearing the end of its league stages, with three slots up for grabs in the drive to the playoffs. As the Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, one team is looking to make a strong case for themselves to make the playoffs, while the other is looking to end a disappointing season on a high. The Royal Challengers Bangalore are coming off a huge morale-boosting win away from home against the Rajasthan Royals.
In terms of the home team, the Sunrisers from Hyderabad lost by 34 runs to the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, despite an impressive bowling performance from the SRH bowling, which kept the Titans under 200 runs after a flying start in the first 12 overs. The SRH hitters fell victim to Mohammad Shami’s superb powerplay bowling while chasing a target of 189. The Titan’s bowlers were all over the SRH batting unit at 45/5. Wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen and the day’s standout, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who also picked up a fifer with the ball, came to their rescue with the bat, putting on a 68-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Strongest SRH & RCB batters in death overs (16-20)
Abdul Samad, a young powerhouse from Jammu and Kashmir who plays for SRH, leads the list, hitting 120 runs at a strike rate of 151.9 and an amazing average of 40 in 7 innings, with 7 fours and 9 sixes. Heinrich Klaasen, the Wicket Keeper batsman and the leading run scorer for SRH this season, has made an impact in the death overs part of an inning, scoring 120 runs at a strike rate of 190.48 and an average of 24 in the 7 innings he has played thus far. In this section of the innings, he has 9 fours and 8 sixes. Glenn Maxwell of the RCB has scored 63 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 225 and an average of 21. So far in this phase, he has 3 fours and 7 sixes.
Effective SRH & RCB bowlers in middle overs (7-15)
Let’s take a look at the top bowlers from both teams in the middle-overs phase. When it comes to bowling in the middle overs, SRH leg spinner Mayank Markande is at the top of the list. In 10 innings, he has taken 10 wickets with an economy of 7.50, a strike rate of 19.20, and an average of 24, including a four-wicket haul. Karn Sharma, another leg spinner from RCB, makes the list. In the six innings he has played for RCB this season, he has taken eight wickets with an economy of 9.45, an average of 19.50, and a strike rate of 12.38.
Conclusion
The Royals were completely destroyed by the RCB bowling unit, who dismissed them for just 59 runs in just 11 overs. After beginning the game with a negative net run rate, their net run rate over the Rajasthan Royals skyrocketed in the 112-run triumph. When comparing head-to-head records, the Sunrisers Hyderabad hold a minor advantage over the Royal Challengers of Bangalore, but when you concentrate on these teams’ present forms, the Royal Challengers of Bangalore start off as the clear favourites in this matchup.