ABOUT THE MATCH
Two teams with a very enthusiastic fan base in the South of India are expected to open their IPL 2020 season against each other. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will lock the horns in Dubai as they try to get off to a winning start. The match would be played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai from 7:30 PM IST onwards.
MATCH PREVIEW:
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD:
- SRH is a very active IPL team and has been a title challenger in recent years. It won in 2016 and it was also the finalist in 2018. Much of the success has been attributed to some phenomenal batting output by its overseas players.
- David Warner, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow are at the centre of the batting team. They have been consistent and have been able to fill some apparent holes in the battle against the Indian players they have.
- Manish Pandey, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Wriddhiman Saha are four others who will surely be in the starting eleven. We think Khaleel Ahmed, Vijay Shankar, and maybe Sandeep Sharma might get the start of the game.
- This is a strong lineup provided the overseas batsmen are going their job. If Warner, Bairstow, and Williamson struggle in the UAE, SRH is going to find it very tough to win.
- Traditionally, SRH has been a powerful bowling squad, and this time they have some really good spinners. Their pace bowling lineup is a bit poor , particularly as the conditions are not going to favour swing bowlers like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Sandeep Sharma.
PROBABLE PLAYING XI:
David Warner (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad/Abhishek Sharma, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed/Siddarth Kaul, Shahbaz Nadeem.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE:
- The news that Australian and English players will be eligible from the start of the IPL is good news for the RCB as well. Aaron Finch, Moeen Ali, and Adam Zampa should be available if desired.
- We talk about RCB ‘s powerful batting lineup every season, and that’s the case this time as well. Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Aaron Finch are expected to be a formidable top order. It remains to be seen if Parthiv Patel is having his opening slot again, but there are signs that he may be. Add Moeen Ali into the mix and you have a very strong team already.
- That leaves one position open to an overseas player. RCB may be going to Dale Steyn or the more likely alternative, Chris Morris. The latter gives them the chance of a big death bowling and a power hitter in the centre. Isuru Udana could also be a very good option given the conditions in the UAE.
- Devdutt Padikal should get a place in the playing eleven but to expect him to make an immediate impact might not be the right thing to do.
- RCB’s problems in the past have been related to their bowling and an inability to deliver under pressure. Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj, and Umesh Yadav have all been guilty of leaking runs in the past.
- Virat Kohli will have to use players like Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, and perhaps Shivam Dube smartly to keep the pressure off his bowlers.
PROBABLE PLAYING XI:
Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Navdeep Saini, Dale Steyn/Isuru Udana.
PITCH REPORT:
The pitch has been good for batsmen, but the spin bowlers often trouble them on this ground.
WEATHER CONDITIONS:
Taking a look at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the coming week and the average maximum daytime temperature will be about 39 ° C, with a high temperature of 40 ° C forecast in the afternoon of Saturday 19th. The average minimum temperature will be 29 ° C, dropping to its lowest in the morning of Monday 21st at 27 ° C. The next week will stay largely dry. The winds are expected to be all in all to be moderate.
Probable Top Performers:
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
David Warner– Without a doubt, David Warner was the most prolific international batsman in the history of the IPL. Irrespective of what the circumstances are, the left-hander is running out.
Having earned the Orange Cap quite a few times, he ‘s supposed to be at his best again. Warner is both up and running after the COVID-19 pandemic after featuring in the ODI and T20I series against England.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Virat Kohli– Virat Kohli is someone who doesn’t have high-risk strokes and likes to grind it out in the centre. Playing since 2008, he has been the top run-scorer in the Challengers and IPL ‘s history with more than 5,000 runs to show for his efforts.
He also has five centuries to his name, four of which came in 2016 when he nearly scored 1,000 runs in a single edition of the T20 tournament.
Head To Head:
Played– 15
RCB Won – 6
SRH Won– 8
No Result – 1
Broadcast Details:
Match timings – 06:00 PM local time, 07:30 PM IST
TV – Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Select, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 1 Select HD, and Star Sports 1 HD Hindi.
Live Streaming – The match can be streamed online on Disney + Hotstar VIP.
PREDICTION:
Sunrisers Hyderabad ‘s success depends heavily on how it’s opening combination performs. David Warner may have a stellar IPL record, but he’s not in a good nick as he ended up in the series against England. Thus, if Bangalore’s bowlers could eliminate the openings early, they could reveal their middle order. The assumption is that the RCB will slightly win in their opening game.
