Two wins, four back-to-back losses and finally a win again. This has been the story for Kings XI Punjab in the tourney till now whereas Sunrisers have had a fair tournament with four wins and three losses and one abandoned game. Still, the doors for qualifying to the next round are open for all teams, though some of them need to come out of the box performance in order to seek an entry in it.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who currently sits at the third position on the table, is one of the strongest contenders not just to sustain their place in the top four but also to win the cup for the second time.
The team has to continue their form in order to get their dream fulfilled again this time.
This time, they will be up against King XI Punjab in an away game, which will be a real test for the defending champions as they are yet to win an away game in the tournament. If SRH passes the litmus test, then it will strengthen their chances whereas a failure can bring their confidence down.
Previous encounter –
Both the teams met each other on April 17 at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium where Siddharth Kaul defended 11 runs in the last over to win the game for the team. SRH will look to dominate KXIP once again whereas the home side will try to convert the home advantage in their favour and add another win to their account.
Recent form –
SRH – WWLLWWLN/R
KXIP – WWLLLLW
Talking points-
Going into the game, the biggest talking point is the fact that Sunrisers Hyderabad hasn’t won an away game in the tournament till now. They were the favourites before going into the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore but there, rain played a spoilsport and the game was abandoned. If SRH is able to win this game, then it will be a great confidence booster which will also generate many hopes in them whereas a loss will be enough for the think tank to look into the factors where this team lack.
Predicted XI –