Eye on play-off berth, Sunrisers take on KXIP

Knowing that there is scramble among top teams for the playoff berth and holding on to top position is not an easy task, SRH will have to put the loss against Delhi behind and look to put up an all-round performance.

What has made Sunday’s afternoon game at the IS Bindra PCA stadium here even more important for Hyderabad is the fact that Punjab, which has struggled through the tournament, has suddenly started turning over a leaf under their new captain Murali Vijay, whose appointment was made mid-way.

The Punjab outfit, which is lying at the seventh place with four wins from 11 outings, pulled off a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against Mumbai Indians at Visakhapatnam Friday night.

The victory will surely give the struggling side a much-needed boost and the David Warner led SRH will be wary of the fact that Punjab will be a difficult opposition to tackle on their home turf.

Seeing the Hyderabad side in action has been a treat to watch, with its bowlers and batsmen clicking collectively.

Captain Warner is one of the highest run-getters in this edition and he single-handedly led the team to victory more than once. He is among the most successful batsmen in the league, making fifty-plus scores every three innings.

It was their middle-order collapse which hurt the team’s chances and the Sunrisers, who have some brilliant batsmen in Kane Williamson, Deepak Hooda and wicket-keeper batsman Naman Ojha, will look to mend their ways. The Hyderabad side’s bowling attack has also been impressive. 

For Punjab, a win against Mumbai Indians yesterday has infused new energy in the team and they will be eagar to win all the remaining three matches.