Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals Prediction: SRH need to improve bowling

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals are going head to head in the Match 49 of the Indian Premier League at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, India on 2nd May, 2024. RR has lost only one game this season in the IPL. Who will win this game of cricket?

Pat Cummins' team faced a defeat against the Chennai Super Kings by a margin of 78 runs in their previous match. Despite their batting lineup's consistent performance throughout the year, they encountered a rough patch in the game. Positioned fourth on the points table, the team is eager to secure a victory in the upcoming match to enhance their prospects of progressing to the next round. Overcoming the Rajasthan Royals won't be a straightforward task. Cummins anticipates a resilient display from his squad.

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have shown promising starts this season, and the team is counting on them to establish a substantial partnership. Following their setbacks against CSK, Aiden Markram, Anmolpreet Singh, and Nitish Reddy are determined to make significant contributions in this game. Heinrich Klaasen has been reliable in the finishing role and aims to provide quick runs in the lower middle order alongside Abdul Samad.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Nitish Reddy performances with the ball have put pressure on the team's bowling department especially in the starting part of the innings. They need to deliver a strong start with the new ball to break RR's opening partnerships. Star pacers Pat Cummins and T Natarajan need to replicate their performances during the middle overs to contain the RR batsmen effectively. Shahbaz Ahmed and Jaydev Unadkat are pivotal in providing valuable support roles to secure victory.

Pat Cummins (c), Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh (Impact Player)

Sanju Samson's team has showcased commendable performance this season. The team is playing as a cohesive unit with several key players displaying consistent form. They won their recent game against Lucknow Super Giants by 7 wickets.RR have strengthened their position even more at the top of the points table. Winning this match would ensure their place in the playoffs, which is why Samson is rallying his team for another strong performance.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler — Rajasthan's opening duo — are on fire. They are expected to lead the charge at the start yet again in this upcoming game as they have done all season long. Samson, Jurel, and Parag form a solid middle order triumvirate who have consistently guided the team through the middle overs; therefore, their contributions are eagerly awaited. With such a deep batting lineup that includes Hetmyer, Powell, Ashwin— everyone capable — expectations remain high for more support from others as well.

 Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma are taking early breakthroughs. Their contribution is indeed significant given the strong batting line-up of Sunrisers. 

Sanju Samson (c & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag (Impact Player)

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have showcased impressive batting performances throughout the season, often posing challenges to opposing bowling line-up. Sunrisers bowling section has issues. They will need an impressive performance from the bowlers to win against the top-ranked team. Rajasthan Royals have been consistent, with their top order players in good shape. As much as we expect a close match, we predict Rajasthan to come away with victory in the game