Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 43 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
With Kane Williamson not available due to an injury, there were clouds of uncertainty over the Sunrisers' batting lineup and the early dismissals of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow only added those doubts. However, Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar found form just at the right time as Sunrisers overhauled the Rajasthan's total without any further damage.
Just like Kings XI Punjab, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been pretty inconsistent in IPL 2020. They looked all set to have an easy back-end of the league stage after winning three of their first six matches, but they then lost their way. With many of their main players getting injured, the Sunrisers have never had a consistent playing eleven.
Their bowling has always been known to be their stronger suit, but we haven't seen that sharpness yet in the tournament. Jason Holder added a bit of depth to their bowling department and the experience Holder brings to the table should be immensely valuable going forward. Rashid Khan, as usual, has been brilliant and will undoubtedly be the key man with the ball for the Sunrisers.
With bowlers doing well in his last match and middle-order performing as well, the Sunrisers should go in pretty relieved in the upcoming match.
Had it not been for a few unfortunate matches, which Kings XI Punjab lost despite being in the driving seat, it would have been an easy way ahead for them.
The return of Chris Gayle seems to be paying rich dividends already and against a bowling attack that doesn't really have an express bowler, Chris Gayle could be a trump-card. Kings XI Punjab would also be happy with the way Glenn Maxwell played in the previous match. Although he failed to finish the match for the Kings, he scored enough to get back into the form and take Kings XI Punjab to a safe position. The fact that he has done pretty well with the ball adds to the team's depth.
On the bowling front as well, Kings XI Punjab seem to be doing pretty well of late. Mohammad Shami has been brilliant both in the powerplay and at the death. He bowled a terrific super-over in the game against Mumbai Indians and that over would have only added to his confidence. The other bowlers - Arshdeep Singh, Murugan Ashwin, and Ravi Bishnoi have been fantastic as well.
The recent changes that Kings XI Punjab made to their playing eleven appear to be working out pretty well. Their spinners have done exceedingly well and could prove to be a handful on the surface of Dubai in the upcoming contest. With almost everyone performing with the bat, including Pooran and Maxwell, and bowlers bowling in tight channels, this Kings XI Punjab team certainly cannot be taken lightly.
Weather Forecast
The temperature in Dubai at the commencement of the match will be 31 degree celsius. The humidity will be 35 per cent and there is no prediction of rain what so ever.
Pitch Report
The wicket in Dubai is a very balanced one, and it should make for a very even contest between bat and ball. It's a great surface for strokeplay but also has something in it for the bowlers. Dew will be a factor in the second innings.
Toss Prediction
At the beginning of the competition, the teams batting first here generally enjoyed the upper hand. Recently, that has changed largely because of dew having a major impact in the second half of the second innings. We expect the captain winning the toss is expected to bowl first.
Stats and Facts
Head to head: Matches Played: 14
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 11
Kings XI Punjab: 4
Approaching Milestones:
Chris Gayle needs 36 runs to complete 1000 IPL runs for KXIP.
Glenn Maxwell requires 13 runs to complete 1500 IPL runs.
Manish Pandey needs 77 runs to complete 1000 IPL runs for SRH.
Sandeep Sharma is a wicket away from completing 100 IPL wickets.
Likely XIs:
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (capt, wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, James Neesham, M Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (capt), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz
Nadeem, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan
Players to Watch Out For:
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Mohammed Shami
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan
Match Odds:
Kings XI Punjab: 1.80
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 2.00
SantaBanta's Winner Prediction: Kings XI Punjab
IPL 2020 Winner Live Odds
Mumbai Indians - 2.75
Royal Challengers Bangalore - 3.75
Delhi Capitals - 4
Kings XI Punjab - 11
Kolkata Knight Riders - 13
Sunrisers Hyderabad - 17
Rajasthan Royals - 41
Chennai Super Kings - 151
Match Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Time: 3.30 PM IST
TV: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP