Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are all set to take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their upcoming game of the ongoing IPL 2024. Both sides will lock horns in game 69 of the tournament at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, May 19. Recently, SRH became the third side to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament, and they will aim to register yet another win.
A washout in their last game against Gujarat Titans means SRH are no longer in control of their fate. Even if they win against PBKS on Sunday afternoon, a top-two finish is not guaranteed. For that to happen, Rajasthan Royals will have to lose against Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day.
SRH vs PBKS Previous Performances
Before the GT game, SRH’s previous outing was on May 8, against Lucknow Super Giants, when they chased down 166 inside ten overs. That means they will be in action after a gap of ten days. It needs to be seen if they will be rusty or rejuvenated.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings find themselves on the wrong end of the spectrum. Led by Sam Curran, the side was the second team to be eliminated from the tournament and currently find themselves in ninth place in the standings with 10 points in 13 matches.
PBKS were ruled out of the playoffs race long back, and most of their overseas players have returned home for various reasons. Kagiso Rabada left with an infection in his lower limb; Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Sikandar Raza for national duties; Chris Woakes for family reasons.
Jitesh Sharma, who will lead the side on Sunday, has only two overseas players available: Rilee Rossouw and Nathan Ellis. With nothing to lose, this opens up an opportunity for domestic players to make an impression.
SRH vs PBKS Head to Head
SRH 15 – 7 PBKS. Sunrisers have won their last two matches against the Kings, including their away match earlier in this edition in Mullanpur which they won by 2 runs, defending 182. When these two sides met earlier in the season, SRH found themselves on 39 for 3 inside the powerplay after being sent in. But Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 64 off 37 balls lifted them to 182 for 9. In response, PBKS also suffered a collapse before Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma revived them. Eventually, they fell short by two runs.
| Matches Played | 22 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad Won | 15 |
| Punjab Kings Won | 7 |
| No results | 0 |
SRH vs PBKS Pitch Report
High-scoring games have been the flavor of Hyderabad and this match too is expected to adhere to the norm. Showers disrupted the practice sessions on Saturday (May 18) and more rain is forecast for the afternoon-evening period on the match day. The surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad generally offers a balanced contest. Fast bowlers can exploit the pitch in the early stages of the game, with the batters getting comfortable in the latter stages of the clash. Opting to bat first could be a wise decision.
Hyderabad has been a high-scoring venue this IPL, with an average first-innings score of 203. Only the Arun Jaitley Stadium (10.69) has seen a higher run rate than Hyderabad’s 9.94. However, the weather could play spoilsport once again as there is a 30% chance of rain.
SRH vs PBKS Team news and impact player strategy
SRH vs PBKS In the spotlight – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel
Bhuvneshwar Kumar started IPL 2024 with figures of 0 for 51 and 0 for 53. A few games later, he had 0 for 60 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But after just four wickets in the first eight games, he has picked up seven in the last four. As usual, he has been at his best in the powerplay – ten of his 11 wickets have come in this phase, the most for any bowler this season.
Harshal Patel, too, did not have a great start to the season. He went for 44 or more in each of his first four games. But after that, he turned it around and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the season with 22 scalps. His economy has also come down to 9.51. With Rabada and Curran unavailable, he will have to shoulder extra responsibility if PBKS are to end on a positive note.
SRH vs PBKS Vital Stats that matter
- Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Prabhsimran three times in 11 balls while conceding only 15 runs.
- Rossouw has scored only five runs in ten balls (no dismissal) against Bhuvneshwar and 14 runs in 12 balls (one dismissal) against Pat Cummins.
- Abhishek has hit Arshdeep for 34 runs off 23 balls without getting out even once.
- Harshal has dismissed Heinrich Klaasen three times in 30 balls while giving away only 38 runs.
- Reddy has enjoyed batting against Harpreet Brar: 38 runs in 16 balls, no dismissal.
SRH vs PBKS Probable Playing XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande
Impact Sub – T Natarajan
Punjab Kings:
Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma (c& wk.), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Sub – Harpreet Bhatia
SRH vs PBKS Fantasy XI : Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashutosh Sharma.
SRH vs PBKS Probable Best Players of the Match
Probable Best Batter:
Travis Head:
He could be the best batter in the upcoming game against Punjab Kings. With 471 runs in his last 10 matches, Head has been responsible for the brisk starts that SRH have been getting off to, and his performance could propel SRH to yet another win.
Probable Best Bowler:
Harshal Patel:
He could be the best bowler in the upcoming game against SRH. Patel has been one of the best bowlers of the IPL 2024, with 19 wickets in his last 10 matches, Patel’s spell could prove crucial to PBKS’ success in the upcoming game.
SRH vs PBKS Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and opt to bat
Powerplay: 90-100
SRH: 240-250
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match
Scenario 2
Punjab Kings win the toss and opt to bat.
Powerplay: 60-70
PBKS: 180-190
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match
Also Read: IPL 2024: SRH Skipper Pat Cummins Surprised by Wickets, Reflects On Victory Over RR