The 65th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 features a clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, May 18.
Hyderabad would be coming into the game on the back of a hefty loss to the defending champions, Gujarat Titans. Through that loss, the Aiden Markram-led side became the second team to be eliminated from the tournament. Attempting to chase a target of 189 runs, only Heinrich Klassen made any meaningful contribution to the run chase as Hyderabad succumbed to a loss.
On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore are still very much in the race for a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament. They currently find themselves in fifth place in the IPL points table with 12 points from just as many matches.
They played their last game against the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals, where they registered a brilliant 112-run victory over the inaugural champions. They would come into the game brimming with confidence and would look to maintain their winning ways.
Pitch and Conditions
The surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is a typical batter-friendly pitch. With huge boosts for the side batting first, the pitch aids medium pace and spinners in the second innings. Electing to bat first and posting a huge total on the board after winning the toss could prove to be a wise decision.
Probable Playing XI for SRH vs RCB
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Coming into the game, Hyderabad could be expected to make minimal changes to their lineup. Sanvir Singh could be dropped from the squad, with Indian pacer Umran Malik coming into the lineup. With nothing to lose, Hyderabad could be dangerous for Bangalore in the forthcoming clash.
Probable Playing XI: Anmolpreet Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore won their previous game in dominant fashion; hence, the side could be expected to field the same squad from their clash against Rajasthan. Led by Faf du Plessis, they would hope that they could put in a similar performance and make a stronger case for their playoff qualification.
Probable Playing XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Michael Bracewell, Anuj Rawat (wk), Wayne Parnell, Karn Sharma, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj
SRH vs RCB Head-to-head
Played – 22 No result – 1
SRH vs RCB Broadcast and Live Streaming Details
Match Timings: 07:30 PM IST
Live Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: JioCinema App & Webs