IPL 2023: Match 4, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Predicted Playing XI vs Rajasthan Royals

Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to kick off their Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) campaign as they host last season’s runner-up Rajasthan Royals in the fourth match at Uppal’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 2. Both teams finished at different ends of the points table last season. Sunrisers, under Kane Williamson’s captaincy, finished eighth with just six wins from 14 games but will be hoping for a fresh start with a positive result on Sunday.

They earlier appointed Aiden Markram as their new skipper after the South African star guided Sunrisers Eastern Cape to SA20 2023 glory. The team entered the IPL 2023 auction with the biggest purse and significantly strengthened their squad to leave no stone unturned for the 16th edition of the tournament.

However, for the first game, they will be missing three overseas stars – Markram, Marco Jansen, and Heinrich Klaasen – all of whom would be involved in South Africa’s crucial ODI series against Netherlands. This will give others the opportunity to prove their worth for the available spots. So, let’s find out their predicted eleven players and probable impact players for the upcoming game against Rajasthan Royals.

Here’s Sunrisers Hyderabad’s predicted XI for their match against Rajasthan Royals:

Openers: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal

Abhishek Sharma enjoyed a breakthrough season during IPL 2022 as he was the only consistent batter while his teammates struggled for runs throughout the season. The youngster top-scored with 426 runs from 14 innings at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 133.12 with the help of two fifties. He has been a consistent run-scorer across formats in domestic cricket lately, and will be looking to carry the momentum to the upcoming IPL season as well.

Mayank Agarwal joins Sunrisers with enormous experience of playing in IPL but fans’ expectations will be much higher on account of his heavy price tag of INR 8.25 crore. He struggled to be among runs with Punjab Kings last season after being burdened with the extra pressure of captaincy. But with no additional role this time around, Mayank might find his rhythm back this season.

Middle-order: Rahul Tripathi, Harry Brook, Abdul Samad, Glenn Phillips (wk)

Abdul Samad (Photo Source: Twitter)

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s middle order seemed completely off track last season with Kane Williamson, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Poooran proving inconsistent. With Pooran and Williamson not in the picture and Markram missing the first game, Rahul Tripathi will have to carry the weight against Royals. He was excellent last season with over 400 runs and is likely to play at the number three position on Sunday.

Harry Brook’s rapid growth as one of the best batters across formats continues with each passing game. He cost INR 13.25 crore at the IPL auction but it can come out to be a steal for Sunrisers if he manages to crack the code in his debut IPL season. Brook will be coming as Williamson’s replacement and might start at number four in Markram’s absence.

Abdul Samad would get another chance to shine and prove his point in Sunrisers’ first match of this season. The young big-hitter was restricted to just two appearances last season where he managed to score just four runs. He is likely to make appearances as Impact Player in most matches of this season, shall he miss out on a spot in the initial playing XI. However, with major stars of the team missing the campaign opener, SRH might accommodate him in the XI where Samad would be keen to leave a mark.

Glenn Phillips has featured in only three IPL matches despite playing a number of T20Is for the Kiwis. He has been exceptional across formats in recent times and has increased his stature in T20Is as one of the best hitters of the game. He will be donning the gloves in Klaasen’s absence for the first match and will be looking to make a big impact to earn a regular place in the team.

All-rounder: Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The young spin all-rounder was decent last season even though he missed five matches on medical grounds. He scored 101 runs and took six wickets in eight matches in IPL 2022 on his return from a lengthy injury. Fans will be expecting much better performances from Sundar this year after his recent impressive spell with the Indian national team.

Bowlers: Bhuvneshawr Kumar (c), Adil Rashid, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be leading the team against Rajasthan Royals in Markram’s absence. He has led Sunrisers on eight occasions in the past and is, therefore, not new to the role. Bhuvneshwar took 12 wickets last season at a very impressive economy rate of 7.34 and will be looking for a similar impact this season to eye a national team comeback.

Adil Rashid will be partnering with Sundar to bolster the spin attack but will be under pressure to make an instant impact as he faces tough competition for the overseas bowler spot. Handy with the bat as well, Marco Jansen is expected to occupy the fourth overseas slot upon his return and thus, Rashid needs to prove his worth against Rajasthan to keep the South African pacer on the sidelines.

Umran Malik was at the top of his game last season as he won the Emerging Player of the Year award for his exceptional bowling throughout the tournament. He took 22 wickets from just 14 innings at an economy rate of 9.03, topping the pace chart among Indian pacers. He made further headlines due to his ability to consistently bowl at speeds over 150 kmph.

T. Natarajan also contributed with 18 wickets in just 11 matches during IPL 2022 but was expensive with his spells. The management is likely to utilize him as a death-over specialist and thus, fans can expect him to come off the bench as an impact player in a few games this season.

Impact Player Scenarios

If Sunrisers Hyderabad bat first

Probable impact player: Kartik Tyagi

Kartik Tyagi. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

The young Indian pacer might come in as an impact player with Marco Jansen missing the match and leaving the pace attack constrained against Rajasthan Royals. Uncapped spinners Vivrant Sharma and Mayank Dagar cost big bucks at the auction and might expect a spot among substitutes if the pitch turns out to be favorable for spinners.

If Sunrisers Hyderabad bowl first

Probable impact player: Samarth Vyas

Samarth Vyas. (Photo Source: Instagram/Samarth Vyas)

Samarth Vyas, the 27-year-old batting all-rounder, joined Sunrisers for a base price of INR 20 lakh at the IPL 2023 auction. He has impressive numbers in domestic T20 cricket, having amassed 649 runs from just 25 innings at an average of 29.50 and a strike rate of 150.38. He might even start in the playing XI in Abdul Samad’s place but the management is likely to use him as an impact player due to the lack of quality batting backup options in Markram and Klaasen’s absence.