IPL 2020: Match 40, RR vs SRH – SRH Predicted Playing XI

Having lost their previous game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have put themselves in a dire situation. With only three wins in 9 games, they aren’t in a great position as of now. The team has lost three games in a row and the loss in the previous match would have been highly demoralizing.

The ‘Men in Orange‘ have got just five more games left in the tournament. With so much competition for the fourth spot on the points table, they will need to turn things around quickly. They will be taking on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their upcoming match. The team will need to put up a good show in this encounter to keep their chances alive.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for the Sunrisers Hyderabad for RR vs SRH:

Openers (Jonny Bairstow (wk), David Warner (c))

Jonny Bairstow has been getting the starts, he’s timing the ball well but hasn’t been able to convert those into big knocks. This can get quite frustrating at times for the fans and the management. He scored 36 runs in the last match and hit 7 fours. However, he’s got to take more responsibility and play the big knocks at least in these last few games.

David Warner didn’t open in the last game due to Kane Williamson’s injury. Batting at four, he scored an unbeaten 47 but failed to take his team through. He is expected to be back opening the innings for his team in this match. SRH will want him to play a big knock and take the game away from the opposition.

Middle Order (Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Priyam Garg)

Priyam Garg batted at three in the last match while Manish Pandey went in at five. It is a decent ploy to have Garg at number three and they might give him another chance at this position. Kane Williamson, who seemed to have pulled his hamstring in the last match, is expected to play this game. He was seen batting and bowling during the practice sessions ahead of this match.

If in case he is unfit, SRH might look at either Mohammad Nabi or Jason Holder. Manish Pandey can get going from the first ball. Even though he has been inconsistent with the bat in this tournament, SRH might look to use him as a floater according to the situation of the game.

All Rounders (Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad)

Vijay Shankar and Abdul Samad will be the two all-rounders for SRH. They are both quite handy with the ball and can chip in with some good overs. In the last match, Vijay Shankar took up the responsibility of the fifth bowler and bowled four overs for just 20 runs. However, the experienced cricketer must look to play a bigger role with the bat. Samad did a decent job in the last game with 23 runs off 15 balls under pressure.

Bowlers (Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan, Basil Thampi)

Rashid Khan has been slightly more expensive than he usually is in the last two games conceding 7 or more runs an over. In the last game against RR, he couldn’t deliver an economical over at the death resulting in the game slipping away from his team’s hands. The leg-spinner must try to be more economical or should pick up more wickets.

Sandeep Sharma and T Natarajan will hold onto their spots in the side. Sandeep has been doing a decent job bowling economical overs and has also picked up some important wickets. The left-arm pacer, on the other hand, has been giving away nearly 10 runs every over and should work on that aspect of his game. Basil Thampi, who played his first match in the last game, was expensive. He is likely to be given another chance.