IPL 2023: Unbeaten PBKS set to face lackluster SRH

Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Punjab Kings in match number 14 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad will host the match on April 9. Both teams have had contrasting fortunes this season. SRH have lost their first two matches, while PBKS won two on the bounce. Here is the preview.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad will host the enthralling encounter. There are a lot of runs for the batters on this pitch. Spinners will also get some help as the match progresses. 7.97 is the average run rate for teams batting first here. Star Sports Network will telecast the match, while fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema from 7:30pm onward.

Both teams have played each other in 19 matches in the IPL. SRH hold the upper hand with 13 victories, while PBKS have registered seven wins. In the last meeting, PBKS scripted a five-wicket win over SRH. Sunrisers posted 157/8, batting first, but in response, PBKS chased it down in only 15.1 overs. Liam Livingstone steered them home with a 22-ball 49*.

SRH skipper Aiden Markram and star batter Harry Brook have not had the best starts to their campaign, and they will look to step up at home. While Sunrisers will hope that Abhishek Sharma, who was their top runs scorer last season, regains fitness and returns to the XI. Kagiso Rabada may feature for PBKS, but they will still miss Liam Livingstone.

SRH Probable XI: Anmolpreet Singh (wicket-keeper), Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (captain), Harry Brook, Washington Sundar, Abdul Samad, Adil Rashid, Umran Malik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and T Natarajan. PBKS Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, and Arshdeep Singh.

Dhawan has slammed 126 runs in two matches this season, including an unbeaten 86 in the last match against RR. Rabada (99) is one wicket away from completing 100 IPL wickets. Ellis and Arshdeep have scalped five wickets each in the first two matches. Bhuvneshwar (58) is IPL's highest wicket-taker in powerplay overs. Tripathi (447) needs 53 to complete 500 runs for SRH.

Fantasy XI Option 1: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (vc), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik and Kagiso Rabada. Fantasy XI Option 2: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Prabsimran Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Arshdeep Singh (vc), Umran Malik and Rahul Chahar.