Preview: Sunrisers look to seal play-off berth against Kings XI

Table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to quickly bounce back from the disappointing loss against Delhi Daredevils and seal their place in the play-off when they take on a resurgent Kings XI Punjab in an IPL clash.

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 tomorrow.

What has made tomorrow’s afternoon game at the I S 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 last 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.

The other opener Shikhar Dhawan has also been in good form steering the team in the event of his skipper’s early dismissal. Even in their last game against Delhi, Warner (46) and Dhawan (34) had made their contribution with the bat.

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.

However, it will be interesting to see whom the crowds root for when Yuvraj Singh comes out to bat for SRH.

The Hyderabad side’s bowling attack has also been impressive. With the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, seasoned Ashish Nehra, latest pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman and Barinder Sran, it is one of the most-feared unit in the current edition of the IPL.

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.