Published: Apr 06, 2013, 05:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 06, 2013, 05:18 PM (IST)
Chris Gayle scored 92 off just 58 deliveries in their first game against Mumbai Indians in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League © AFP
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
Hyderabad: Apr 6, 2013
Coming off wins in their opening encounters, the Sunrisers Hyderabad take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), 2013. While Hyderabad remarkably defended a small total against the Pune Warriors India, Bangalore managed to get out of jail against the Mumbai Indians. Thus, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad can expect some great action when the two sides meet on Sunday night.
Hyderabad did well to defend a total of 126 in their first game and that highlighted the copious strength of their bowling. In Dale Steyn, they have the finest fast-bowler in the world, who is a huge threat to the opposition. He is supported by Ishant Sharma. Amit Mishra is also a strong spinning option and he has done well in previous IPLs.
However, it is the inclusion of Thissara Perera that has given Hyderabad the edge. With the bat he is a fierce hitter who can add quick runs to the score. He also is a wicket-taking bowler who can dent the opposition with a few quick strikes. His utility was evident in the first game and Hyderabad would want him to continue his good work.
Kumar Sangakkara has to rally the innings around him as Hyderabad do not have the strongest batting line-up. To make matters worse, they are missing Shikhar Dhawan, their best Indian batsman. In his absence, the responsibility on Sangakkara increases. Cameron White can also be an attacking player and must share the burden with the Sri Lankan.
Riding high on Chris Gayle’s magnificent knock, Bangalore posted a competitive total in their first game. But, the whole innings again exposed their over-dependence on the big-hitting West Indian. Virat Kohli looked good, but did not capitalise on the good start. They would miss AB de Villiers again as he is yet to join the squad and till then their middle-order would be weaker.
Daniel Christian is the all-rounder Bangalore opted for, but has the tendency to be expensive with the ball. If he gets it right, he can be a genuine wicket-taker.
Bangalore’s bowling isn’t their strongest area, but would take confidence from their first game. R Vinay Kumar was the star as he bowled with tremendous discipline and held his nerve in the hour of need. Young Jaydev Unadkat also had a good outing and would be persisted with.
However, there is some class in their spin department with Muttiah Muralitharan and Murali Kartik. They complemented each other well and strangled the Mumbai batsmen. In the middle-overs, they maintained good discipline and increased the pressure.
Considering the positive results, both sides wouldn’t make too many changes to their respective line-ups and one can expect them to come in unchanged. The last time Bangalore travelled to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Deccan Chargers (who represented Hyderabad then) knocked them out of contention for the play-offs. Hyderabad may be playing under a new name, but the personnel would be the same. Kohli’s men would be looking to return the favours.
Teams:
Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): Kumar Sangakkara (c), Akshath Reddy, Parthiv Patel (wk), Cameron White, Thissara Perera, Hanuma Vihari, Ashish Reddy, Dwaraka Ravi Teja, Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): Virat Kohli (c), Chris Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mayank Agarwal, Daniel Christian, Karun Nair, Arun Karthik (wk), Murali Kartik, Jaydev Unadkat, R Vinay Kumar, Muttiah Muralitharan.
Match Time: 20.00 IST | 14.30 GMT
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst, anchor and voice-over artist for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He has also participated on live TV talk-shows on cricket. Nishad can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)
