The usually bowling-centric Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has had its batting make an emphatic statement so far in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Its batters will again be the focal point when it takes on Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday.

The season’s only match (vs. Delhi Capitals) on the Kings’ new home ground here was played on a black-soil strip that typically doesn’t offer great bounce. The pitch was slower to bat on. It’ll be interesting to watch Sunrisers’ batting approach here.

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Both teams might expect its spin attack to come off good as Capitals’ spinners were impressive in the last match here. Black soil is usually helpful for the skiddy and the side-spin imparting finger-spinners.

If Kings’ standout bowler Harpreet Brar (economy rate – 5.69) opens the bowling again with his left-arm spin, he would have an unfavourable match-up versus left-handers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.

The Kings would be hoping to come off the Powerplay with negligible damage. The Kings has conceded at least 50 runs in the PowerPlay in each of their four matches and the Sunrisers have the second-best run rate (11.66) in the phase.

The Kings have to be wary of Heinrich Klaasen. The South African has hit the spinners for 28 sixes since IPL 2023, the most for any batter. If it’s a bit too full or short, it’ll be duly dispatched down the ground. Subtle variations in length within the good length zone might work, just as it did for Gujarat Titans’ Rashid Khan.

Pace variation might work at this ground and the Sunrisers’ seamers best executed it in its last match against Chennai Super Kings. Sunrisers had bowled 45 per cent slower deliveries at one point in that match, and effectively utilised the ploy in the death overs.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, has scored at a rate of only 9.6 iat the death, as opposed to 11.9 last season, with only seven sixes in the phase before its last match versus Gujarat Titans.

It would have been a huge relief for the Kings that Ashutosh Sharma (31, 17b, 3×4, 1×6) and Shashank Singh (61, 29b, 6×4, 4×6) finished off well to achieve the 200-run target versus the Titans. But Ashutosh seemed uncomfortable against short deliveries and that could be something that the Sunrisers might try and exploit.

Prabhsimran Singh looked good while he batted versus the Titans, striking better against the spinners. The Kings would expect for its young Indian batters in the middle and lower-middle orders to be impactful, especially with Liam Livingstone’s inclusion unconfirmed.

Kings’ assistant coach Brad Haddin said that Livingstone, who missed the last match due to a niggle, trained through a session on Sunday and expected him to do so on Monday too. He added that the medical team will be asked to reassess him and then a decision will be taken on the match day.

Punjab Kings batsman Liam Livingstone missed the side’s previous match against Gujarat Titans
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY / The Hindu

Sunrisers’ Mayank Agarwal, who missed the last match since he was unwell, was seen practising on Monday.

At the last day (3.30 p.m.) match that was played here, Kings’ captain Shikhar Dhawan said that he chose to bowl to better gauge the pitch and added that it would get better to bat on under lights.

The Kings will hope to learn from their outing against Delhi Capitals at the venue and put it to use for its next three home games on the bounce.