What

Match 40 of VIVO IPL 2016 will feature a contest between Rising Pune Supergiants and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rising Pune Supergiants are sixth in the table with three wins from ten outings. The situation is such that even if they win all their remaining four matches, it might not be sufficient to take them to the Playoffs. That doesn’t meant to say if they win all their four matches they will progress to the Playoffs. MS Dhoni and co. are now faced with the situation of having to win their remaining matches to give themselves a chance to stay in the contest. In their most recent outing, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, RPS did well to set the hosts a target of 192.

They executed their plans well for most part of their defence, but a Virat Kohli century, aided by Shane Watson’s blitz took the match away from them. That has been pretty much the story of the season for RPS; the bowlers haven’t been able to pull the reins at crucial junctures in matches.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are on a roll having won their last three matches. In their previous outing, they registered an emphatic win over the Mumbai Indians. The bowling attack - led by Ashish Nehra - decimated the Mumbai Indians bowling them out for a season-low 92. Playing in conditions far more familiar to them than their hosts, David Warner and company will eye a chance to climb back to the top of the table.

On the basis of form, momentum, familiarity with conditions, and in terms of a potent combination, Sunrisers Hyderabad begin favourites. But count out Rising Pune Supergiants at your own peril.

When

10 May 2016, 2000 Hrs IST

Where

ADA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam

Weather
Temperature: Max 30°c, Min 29°c
Humidity: Max 79%
Wind: 9kmph

The Protagonists

Ajinkya Rahane, Rising Pune Supergiants’ top run-getter, normally won’t be counted among the most-feared batsmen in T20 cricket. Yet he is extremely consistent, as his six half-centuries in ten innings this season illustrate - and uses the conventional low-risk methods to accumulate runs. He will be the central character in RPS’ batting plans.

David Warner is the most-feared batsman in the SRH line-up. On most days, when the Australian gets going, he will destroy the opposition in quick time and take his team to a win. The return to form of Shikhar Dhawan, who hasn’t been dismissed in the last two innings, augurs well for SRH; the left-hander hasn’t been fluent, but has spent time in the middle and now has the confidence of runs behind him. SRH’s pace bowling attack – comprising Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman – has done plenty of damage. In their previous outing, they were almost unplayable and will aim for a repeat of Sunday night’s performance.

Head to Head