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Preview: M46 - KXIP vs SRH
15 May, 2016
Preview: M46 - KXIP vs SRH
14 May, 2016
What
Match 46 of VIVO IPL 2016 will see Kings XI Punjab clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kings XI Punjab have been at the bottom of the table for most part of the season. But after their 7-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians on Friday night, KXIP have lifted and are now placed seventh. Murali Vijay and company, who have won four of their 11 matches so far, are faced with a do-or-die situation; they have competed better in recent weeks and will be keen to stay in the hunt right to the end.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are among the top two teams in the VIVO IPL 2016 standings; they have seven wins from 11 matches. However, in their most-recent outing, they were at the receiving end against the Delhi Daredevils; in difficult batting conditions at home, SRH struggled to get to 146-8, which the visitors chased down quite convincingly, winning by seven wickets with nearly two overs to spare.
When
15 May 2016, 1600 Hrs IST
Where
IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali
Weather
Temperature: Max 43°c, Min 40°c
Humidity: Max 13%
Wind: 13kmph
The Protagonists
The captains will be at the forefront of both teams’ batting plans. The KXIP captain Murali Vijay is an accumulator – one who can drop anchor and bat for the majority of the innings while also scoring runs at a fair clip. His presence also lends a bit of calm to proceedings, and it is therefore important that he bats through the innings and allows the other stroke-makers to flourish around him. The SRH captain David Warner is the team’s top run-getter with an aggregate of 515 runs. The left-hander is an impact batsman; when he scores big, his team normally ends up on the winning side. Shikhar Dhawan has played a responsible hand in the last few matches; he has put his hands up on days when his opening partner has been dismissed early, and as a result SRH now have two in-form openers.
On the bowling front, both teams are packed with quick bowlers who have been extremely effective this season. The two Sharmas – Mohit and Sandeep - in the KXIP line-up, and the trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman in the SRH line-up will be the ones to watch out for. It will be interesting to see how the pacers go on a day when the mercury is expected to be in the high 40s.
Head to Head
Including their win in Hyderabad earlier this season, Sunrisers Hyderabad have a 5-2 win-loss record over Kings XI Punjab.
Trivia
In the five matches he has been captain of Kings XI Punjab, Murali Vijay has scored three half-centuries and averages 57.25. In six matches before that this season, he averaged 23.83 and had only one half-century to his credit.
Of the 12 wickets Sandeep Sharma has picked up this season, 7 are of batsmen dismissed for single-digit scores.
Kings XI Punjab’s record at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali reads 20 wins & 21 defeats from a total of 41 matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad meanwhile have won both their previous matches at the venue.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken more wickets in the Powerplay overs in VIVO IPL 2016 than any other bowler; the SRH pacer has taken 9 wickets and has an economy rate of 5.83 when bowling in the Powerplay period.
What Next
Kings XI Punjab’s next assignment is the away fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore, scheduled to be played in Bengaluru on May 18. Sunrisers Hyderabad meanwhile head to Raipur to take on the Delhi Daredevils on May 20.
