(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Sunrisers Hyderabad's power-hitting sensations, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, will face a stern test against the crafty spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin when they meet Rajasthan Royals in the second Qualifier of the IPL on Friday.
The explosive pair, fondly nicknamed 'Travishek' by fans, has set new benchmarks in power-hitting this season. Head, with 533 runs at a strike rate of 199.62, and Abhishek, with 470 runs at 207.04, have collectively hammered 72 sixes and 96 boundaries.
Adding to SRH's firepower is Heinrich Klaasen, who has amassed 413 runs at a strike rate of 180, including 34 sixes.
However, playing on the challenging Chepauk pitch, known for its sticky nature, is a different ball game compared to the flat tracks at Uppal, Kotla, or Wankhede. Here, stroke-makers often struggle to hit through the line due to the pitch's sluggishness.
Ashwin, who has extensive experience on this ground, will be crucial with his local knowledge and recent form surge. Alongside Chahal, India's top leg-spinner, RR will aim to dismantle SRH's formidable batting lineup early to gain control of the match.
In SRH's bowling department, the spotlight will be on T Natarajan, the team's leading wicket-taker, who will be eager to exploit home conditions. Experienced bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins also need to step up, especially Bhuvneshwar, who has been wicketless in his last two games.
SRH's main concern lies in their spin attack, with Mayank Markande being inconsistent and Shahbaz Ahmed primarily known for his batting rather than his left-arm spin.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have regained momentum after breaking a five-game losing streak with a comprehensive win against RCB. Their top order, especially Yashasvi Jaiswal, showed promise, and he will be keen to maintain his form ahead of the T20 World Cup in the Americas next month.
Skipper Sanju Samson, however, needs to improve his recent performance, having failed to score over 20 in the last three matches. In the middle order, Dhruv Jurel will be under pressure to deliver after struggling in recent outings.
RR will also rely on their Caribbean stars, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell, for the kind of power-hitting they displayed against RCB. Additionally, Riyan Parag has been in good form and remains a key player.
Squads:
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal.
Rajasthan Royals:
Sanju Samson (c & wk), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.
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