RR vs SRH is a must-win match for the Aiden Markram-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who have just six points from nine games. Meanwhile, their opponents Rajasthan Royals (RR), who were impressive in the first half of the season, have won just one of their last five fixtures. Two points will put the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions in the playoffs mix.
The match will take place at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, on Sunday at 7:30 PM.
Rajasthan Royals
Except for Yashasvi Jaiswal, the rest of the Royals batters have suffered a blip in form. Experienced T20 batters Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer haven’t been able to make quality contributions in the last few games. Youngster Riyan Parag, too, failed to seize his opportunities this season.
RR bowlers, too, have been ineffective in the last few games. Trent Boult has been on the expensive side in the last three games, while Yuzvendra Chahal has been far from his best. RR fans will be keen to see Boult grabbing wickets in the powerplay. On the other hand, Chahal will seek inspiration from fellow spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Adam Zampa.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH’s biggest headache has been its batting unit. The likes of Rahul Tripathi and Harry Brook haven’t provided runs at the top, leaving the middle order too much to do. Heinrich Klaasen is the in-form batter in the squad. Though he has played quickfire knocks, the wicketkeeper-batter couldn’t steer the franchise home against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders at home.
The bowling unit isn’t a concern as Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been economical, while Marco Jansen has been picking up wickets regularly. Left-arm pacer T Natarajan, too, is performing up to the expectations. Mayank Markande, SRH’s leading wicket-taker this season, and skipper Aiden Markram grabbed one wicket each in SRH’s last game.
RR vs SRH Head-to-Head
The Royals have the edge over SRH in the 17 meetings between both sides. Sanju Samson’s men won nine times, while the visitors grabbed eight wins. Half-centuries from Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jos Buttler helped the Royals post over 200 in the latest fixture against SRH. Yuzvendra Chahal took four wickets as the Jaipur-based outfit crushed the Orange Army by 72 runs in Hyderabad.
RR vs SRH Last Five Meetings
RR & SRH IPL 2023 Stats
- Top Run-scorer: Yashasvi Jaiswal – 442 runs (RR); Rahul Tripathi – 190 runs (SRH)
- Most Wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin & Yuzvendra Chahal – 13 wickets (RR); Mayank Markande – 11wickets (SRH)
- Most Sixes: Yashasvi Jaiswal – 19 sixes (RR); Heinrich Klaasen – 11 sixes (SRH)
RR vs SRH – Who Will Win?
The Royals are desperate for their batting unit to fire. If the likes of Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson can regain their form, the home side will be a tough team to beat. SRH will rely on its bowlers. But if the batters fail again, it will be the end of the road for the IPL 2016 champions