The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match number five of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Tuesday. Both SRH and RR are coming off disastrous campaigns last year. While the Royals finished in seventh place, the Sunrisers were last as they won only three of their 14 matches. After the mega auction though, both teams wear a different look even though SRH, as well as RR, have retained their captains, Kane Williamson and Sanju Samson respectively. They will also looking to start on a fresh late with the addition of new talent. On that note, let’s take a look at five player battles to watch out for in the SRH vs RR contest.
1. Jos Buttler vs Umran Malik: This will be an enticing battle to watch out for. RR opener Jos Buttler just loves going after the bowling. Last year, against this same franchise, he hammered his maiden IPL ton, slamming 124 in 64 balls. Of course, the personnel will be different this year. But Buttler would be keen to be at his destructive best. SRH’s young pace spearhead Umran Malik could cause him some problems. Last year, Malik came in towards the end of the season and made a big impact. He can hurry the batters and having seen Buttler struggle against Anrich Nortje in the past, SRH would know that Malik could make an impact against him if he gets his act right.
2. Rahul Tripathi vs Prasidh Krishna: Tripathi, who is likely to open for SRH, will be up against Prasidh Krishna at the top. The batter will look to take maximum advantage of the field restrictions in the powerplay. This is what he successfully did for KKR last season. Tripathi has the strokes in the book to succeed consistently. But Krishna is someone who has the pace to make an impact. He is an aggressive bowler who will not only look to keep Tripathi quiet early only but also knock him over.
3. Kane Williamson vs Yuzvendra Chahal: This could be the contest of the match and perhaps the most defining phase of the game. SRH skipper Kane Williamson is equally good against pace and spin. Unlike some other strokemakers of the modern era who do not enjoy the ball not coming on to the bat, the Kiwi captain is someone who can adeptly find the boundaries against spin as well. He has outshone some of the best in the world. RR leggie Yuzvendra Chahal though will be up for a challenge against Williamson. Having honed his skills for years at RCB, he will be keen to implement his experience against the SRH batter. Chahal would particularly look to outfox the smart Kiwi with his variations.
4. Sanju Samson vs Washington Sundar: RR skipper Sanju Samson’s skills will be on test again. He usually begins the IPL well and then tapers off. Last year was an exception. But he has a point to prove for sure. While he has played some cracking shots against pacers, Samson has struggled a bit when the ball has come slowly off the surface. SRH offie Washington Sundar might thus look to unsettle Samson with his accurate bowling. If he manages to tie Samson down, anything can happen.
5. Nicholas Pooran vs Ravichandran Ashwin: West Indies’ left-hander Nicholas Pooran had a torrid IPL last year as he just couldn’t score runs. However, he has been in exceptional touch this season in international cricket. The left-handed batter is an aggressive stroke-maker, whose clean-hitting can turn the momentum of any match. In the middle overs, he is likely to come up against RR’s Ravichandran Ashwin. Now, the offie might not be the same spinner he once was in T20 cricket. However, he definitely possesses the intelligence and variations to unsettle any batter. It won’t be easy for Pooran to attack him.