Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
Sunrisers Hyderabad will be hoping to confirm their spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs in their penultimate league match which will be against the Gujarat Titans. SRH need to win at least one of their remaining two matches to qualify, but GT is out of contention for a spot in the playoffs.
GT’s last match was unfortunately a washout against KKR at Ahmedabad. Incessant rain meant that the match had to be abandoned without even the toss taking place.
SRH got back to winning ways in their last game beating LSG in emphatic fashion. LSG’s top order started poorly before Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni had to drag the score to just 165. What followed next was unprecedented as Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head came out all guns blazing, firing away so hard that the meager-looking target of 166 was successfully chased in just 9.4 overs. SRH will hope for a repeat show against a rather hapless GT.
The reverse fixture at Ahmedabad had taken place very early in the season. Batting first on a slow surface, none of SRH’s batsmen crossed 30 and they were ultimately left with just 162 to defend. While GT also had some early hiccups in the chase, David Miller smoothed things out to take GT home. SRH will want to settle the scores.
A win in this match will ensure qualification for SRH while GT will be raring to finish their season on a winning note and spoil a party or two along the way.
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report:
The surface has not been as flat as the one from the SRH vs MI game early in the season in subsequent matches. While there has still been a precedent of totals beyond 200 and even scoring at high run rates, a 277 vs 246 kind of match is unlikely. The surface will definitely pose a question or two for the batters.
IPL Stats and Records at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Hyderabad
None of the matches have ended in no result here, while 42 out of 76 have been won batting second here. The average first innings total is 162.
| Matches Played | 76 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 34 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 42 |
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 28 |
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 48 |
| Matches With No Result | 0 |
| Highest Team Total | 277/3 |
| Lowest Team Total | 80 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased | 215 |
| Average First Innings Score | 162 |
SRH vs GT Strategies & Match-ups:
SRH’s aggressive batting seems to have found their mojo back after a swashbuckling display against LSG. GT’s powerplay bowling woes might only compound this problem. The surface will not throw too many challenges to the batsmen, but chasing seems to mostly be favourable here. SRH’s batting form will be the main focus of the strategies in this match. The important matchups are: Mohit Sharma vs Heinrich Klaasen, Sandeep Warrier vs Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan vs Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Shubman Gill, Pat Cummins vs Sai Sudharsan, T Natarajan vs David Miller.
Player Battles to Watch Out For:
Shubman Gill vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar:
As he takes a strike to open for GT, skipper Shubman Gill will need to be wary about facing the man with the joint most wickets in the first over in IPL history, and he does not have a favourable match-up. Against Bhuvneshwar, Gill has scored 57 runs in 56 balls at a partly strike rate of 101.78, while being dismissed thrice. The batting average of 19 does not paint a very good picture of Gill’s battles against Bhuvneshwar.
Heinrich Klaasen vs Rashid Khan:
Klaasen’s reputation as a spin basher seems to precede him, but he hasn’t always enjoyed going up against Rashid Khan. In 18 balls, he has scored just 21 runs while being dismissed once. The average of 21 and strike rate of 116.67 don’t do Klaasen any favours.
X-Factors for SRH vs GT:
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Travis Head will be the focal point for SRH’s chances, especially after striking gold against LSG. His monstrous starts in the powerplay will put SRH on course to another high total that will be beneficial to their NRR as well.
Gujarat Titans:
Against the same opponents last year, Shubman Gill scored a century, albeit at a different venue. He will hope to continue in that vein and help his team get a win to finish their season.