IPL 2023: Match 14, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Predicted Playing XI vs Punjab Kings

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be looking for a maiden win as they host in-form Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 14th match of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, April 8. Hyderabad suffered another big defeat to continue their poor start to the new season despite heavily strengthening the team during the auction.

Aiden Markram made his highly-anticipated captaincy debut against Lucknow Super Giants while Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen warmed the bench but the outcome remained the same for the Sunrisers. They managed to score just 121/8 while batting first as Lucknow spinners took the advantage of the pitch conditions. Markram was bowled out on a golden duck while a big-money signing Harry Brook failed to make a big impact, again.

The bowlers were impressive but the total was never enough to defend against Lucknow's star-studded batting order. Sunrisers are likely to make a few changes for the Punjab Kings game as they will be looking to register a first win before it's too late. 

Here’s Sunrisers Hyderabad’s predicted XI against Punjab Kings

Openers: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal

Abhishek Sharma was missing from the playing eleven against Lucknow Super Giants which was a big surprise for the Sunrisers' fans. The young opener was dismissed for a duck against Rajasthan Royals in the first game but was the leading run-getter for the Sunrisers last season. He is likely to replace Anmolpreet Singh to open the innings with Klaasen donning the wicketkeeping gloves.

Mayank Agarwal cost the franchise INR 8.25 crore in IPL 2023 auction but is yet to produce a performance suitable to his stature. Mayank scored just eight runs against Lucknow and literally threw his wicket away while playing a big shot over mid-off. He scored crucial 27 runs against Rajasthan in the first game but struggled for the big shots despite facing 23 deliveries.

Middle Order: Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Harry Brook, Heinrich Klaasen (wk)

Rahul Tripathi played a brave innings against Lucknow Super Giants while his teammates struggled against spin. He top-scored with 34 off 41 in difficult conditions at Lucknow's pitch. Still, he needs to be more clinical and responsible against Punjab Kings to replicate his last season's form. 

Aiden Markram endured a poor start to his captaincy reign as he failed to impress with both bat and ball. However, he entered the tournament with a rich form on his back and will be looking to carry the same in IPL 2023. Markram won the Player of the Tournament as he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to SA20 2023 glory and has been further impressive across formats in international cricket.

Harry Brook missed out on a chance to start his IPL career with a bang as he scored just three runs against Lucknow Super Giants. He has set the international stage on fire, especially with his performances in red-ball cricket lately and hence fans are expecting a similar impact in the upcoming games. 

Heinrich Klaasen cost Sunrisers Hyderabad big bucks in the auction and missed the opening game due to national team duties. He was named in the impact players substitutes against Lucknow but didn't get a chance. Klaasen is likely to replace Abdul Samad and don the wicketkeeping gloves ahead of Glenn Phillips.

All-rounder: Washington Sundar

The young spin all-rounder remains the only all-rounder option for Sunrisers Hyderabad with Marco Jansen remaining on the bench. Sundar added crucial 16 off 28 in difficult conditions against Lucknow's spin attack but conceded 11 off his only over while bowling. He also struggled against Rajasthan Royals in the first match and needs to contribute more with both bat and ball against Punjab Kings.

Bowlers: Adil Rashid, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Adil Rashid tried to balance the game with two back-to-back wickets of KL Rahul and Romario Shepherd against Lucknow but it was a little too late. Rashid has been impressive with three wickets from two innings to keep the likes of Akeal Hosein and Marco Jansen on the bench. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar took Deepak Hooda's valuable wicket on a stunning return catch but bowled only two overs. As a senior bowler, he needs to contribute more with wickets to set an example for T Natarajan and Umran Malik with the pace trio struggling in IPL 2023 so far.

Umran Malik was the leading pace wicket-taker in IPL 2022 but is yet to get into a rhythm this season. He took one wicket for 22 from a two-over spell against Lucknow Super Giants and one against Rajasthan in the first game. T Natarajan was excellent against Rajasthan with two wickets for 23 but failed to make an impact against Punjab on a spin-friendly surface.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Predicted XI

Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Harry Brook, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Washington Sundar, Adil Rashid, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Probable Impact Players

Fazalhaq Farooqi, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips, Abdul Samad, Mayank Dagar