New Delhi: A buoyant KXIP will host SRH in an IPL game in Mohali on Thursday. The hosts will be playing their final match in Mohali before shifting base to Indore for the rest of the league phase. In the last game against CSK, 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle came into his element and tore the Chennai bowling apart. Also, KL Rahul is in red-hot form, which has also been a contributing factor in the side's turn of fortunes. Skipper R Ashwin has marshaled his troops brilliantly, despite the fact that KXIP bowling lacks depth.
Talking of SRH, the Kane Williamson-led side has been unbeaten so far in the tournament. The credit goes to the bowling unit that Hyderabad possess, a healthy mix of spin and pace. Additionally, Shikhar Dhawan and Williamson have shouldered the responsibility in the batting department. Come Thursday evening, SRH will be looking to continue their domination over the opposition.
These are the three players to watch out for:
Chris Gayle: The 'Universe Boss' had gone unsold in the first round of auctions. In the end, he was bought by KXIP at base price. After he sparked against CSK to lay a platform for KXIP, the owners couldn't have been more ecstatic. More than anything, watching Gayle blast everything in his reach is a delight. The way he clubs everything to perfection provides crowd pure entertainment. Though, SRH bowling is high on skill, they would still be forming a plan to get him out early.
KL Rahul: The Karnataka batsman was RCB's loss and KXIP's gain. And what a gain he has been as he has turned the team's fortunes. His free-flowing approach against pacers and his ability to clear the circle with ease straight away puts the bowlers under pressure. It is not only his on the up play, but also his strength on the back foot is unparalleled. Williamson might start the proceedings with Bhuvneshwar Kumar against him and might want to combine spin in the powerplay.
Shakib Al Hasan: The Bangladesh all-rounder might have not impacted with the bat, his orthodox bowling has time and again brought SRH into a position of control. The way he mixes up his pace and uses the arm ball, he has troubled the opposition. Mohali is supposed to be a wicket where the wicket doesn't turn much, Shakib's side arm action could pose a doubt in the batsmen's mind.
Squads
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Manish Pandey, Rashid Khan Arman, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Sandeep Sharma, Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Billy Stanlake, Siddharth Kaul, Deepak Hooda, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Shreevats Goswami, Basil Thampi, T. Natarajan, Bipul Sharma, Mehdi Hasan, Ricky Bhui, Sachin Baby, Tanmay Agarwal.
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Karun Nair, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin (captain), AJ Tye, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Chris Gayle.
