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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), IPL 2016, Final at Bangalore: Likely XI for David Warner-led SRH

Sunrisers Hyderabad are a well balanced team and it wouldn't be a surprise if they outfox Royal Challengers Bangalore in their own den, in IPL 2016 final.

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David Warner is second in the Orange Cap list © AFP

It’s the final encounter of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Bangalore’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. We’ll have a new winner this summer. Will it be Virat Kohli‘s RCB or David Warner‘s SRH? It’s a tough code to decipher, as both the captains have a similar philosophy: play fire with fire. It’s unlikely that both teams will chop and change their playing XI from the previous match. However, there’s no news on Mustafizur Rahman’s injury. If he is fit and fine, Trent Boult will have to make way for the Bangladeshi pacer. Let’s have a look at SRH’s likely XI: Full Cricket Scorecard: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2016 Final

Top-order: The ‘David Dhawan’ show has been setting the scoreboards on fire in this edition of IPL. They surpassed the record of most runs by an opening duo. They batted with aggression as well as caution. If either of them gets dismissed early, the other steps up and anchors the show. Such has been the story of SRH’s opening combination.

Warner became the second player (after Kohli) to surpass Chris Gayle and Michael Hussey’s tally of 733 runs in an IPL season, and is at No. 2 in the Orange Cap list. Dhawan, on the other end, has plundered 404 run at 39.41. If these two go all guns blazing, RCB will find themselves in a spot of bother.

At No. 3 comes all-rounder Moises Henriques. He has had a decent tournament with the bat. He doesn’t have a half-century to his name yet, but his short cameos helped SRH keep the scoreboard ticking. Read – Predictions and Preview: RCB batting takes on SRH bowling at flat Bengaluru

Middle-order: The No. 4 position belongs to the one and only Yuvraj Singh. Ever since his comeback, SRH have won 6 out 9 games. Not that he’s been a lucky mascot but has simply performed to his best. He has been scoring runs at a brisk rate, taking catches and contributing when it matters the most. Indeed, he has been a significant prospect for SRH in the second half of this IPL.

Deepak Hooda hasn’t has a tough time so far. In 16 matches, he has been run-out thrice. However, he hasn’t provided much impetus otherwise as well, as he managed to score only 141 at 10.84. No doubt that he has immense talent, which is why captain Warner has faith in him. And, no other occasion is bigger than this to showcase his mettle.

All-rounder Ben Cutting and wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha are the last strings in SRH’s middle-order. Both have a reputation of using the long handle and clearing the boundaries at will.

Bowling unit: SRH’s bowling attack is the very reason they reached the ultimate stage of this domestic tourney. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 23 scalps and is the owner of the Purple Cap. He troubles the batsmen with his banana in-swingers and out-swingers in the batting Powerplay and dismantles their defense with lethal yorkers in the death overs. Read: David Warner and I think on similar lines, says Virat Kohli

He has been supported well by the southpaw Barinder Sran throughout the tournament. However, with Mustafizur out of the previous game due to side strain, Boult did a decent job to stop the runs flow. Though he managed to take only a wicket, he was effective enough to take his team over the line.

The only spinner in SRH’s armoury is Bipul Sharma. He’s a wily slow left-arm orthodox who beats the batsmen by varying his pace and line. He has only 2 wickets in 6 matches, but was handy with the bat in SRH’s last two triumphs.

If either of these bowlers go for runs, captain Warner has all-rounders such as Yuvraj, Cutting and Hooda. In fact, he himself can bowl leg-cutters if need be. All in all, it’s a well balanced team and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they outfox RCB in their own den.

SRH’s likely XI: David Warner (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques, Yuvraj Singh, Deepak Hooda, Ben Cutting, Naman Ojha (wk), Bipul Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Trent Boult, Barinder Sran

(Kaustubh S. Mayekar, a reporter at CricketCountry, played cricket at U-16 level. Like his idol Rahul Dravid, he often shadow-practises cricket shots. His Twitter handle is @kaumedy_)

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