IPL 2024, Match 66: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans Match Preview

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lock horns with Gujarat Titans (GT) in match no. 66 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday, May 16.

Sunrisers Hyderabad need at least one win from their two remaining matches to progress to the playoffs. Out of 13 games, the Orange Army has won six and lost seven. Pat Cummins has led the team commendably so far, with their place in the top four nearly confirmed.

The batters in the SRH camp have been in scintillating form and their performances have mesmerised the cricket fraternity. They registered a score of 287/3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier in the tournament. This is the highest team total in the history of the competition. They have also registered two more totals in excess of 250 in the campaign. Travis Head is the highest run-getter for SRH in his comeback season in the IPL. In 11 matches, he has amassed 533 runs at a staggering average of 53.30 and has a mind-boggling strike rate of 201.89. His opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, has also been in impeccable touch, having scored 401 runs from 11 matches at an average of 36.45 and a strike rate of 205.64. The duo helped the former champions chase down a 166-run target in the last game against Lucknow Super Giants inside 10 overs.

Meanwhile, the bowling department has been spearheaded by T Natarajan, who has scalped 15 wickets from 10 matches at an average of 24.53. Cummins has also been among the wickets, having bagged 14 from 12 encounters. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also looked good, especially in terms of his economy, in the last few games after an indifferent start to the season. In the last match, he finished with remarkable figures of 2/12 in his four overs.

Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, were eliminated after their last game against Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned due to rain. Truth be told, they didn’t deserve to get into the playoffs this season after winning just five and losing seven matches. In the batting department, Sai Sudharsan has been consistent throughout the season, scoring 527 runs from 12 matches at an average of 47.91 and a strike rate of 141.29. Meanwhile, skipper Shubman Gill has blown hot and cold, failing to replicate the surreal form he showed last season. David Miller scored just one fifty from nine matches and it didn’t help Titans’ cause.

The bowlers of GT failed to make a mark right through the season. Mohit Sharma is the leading wicket-taker for them with 13 wickets from 10 matches. However, his economy rate is just under 11. Rashid Khan has only picked up 10 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 36.70. He has never picked up less than 17 wickets in a particular edition of the IPL. It just shows how the talismanic Afghanistan spinner has struggled this season.

Also Check: IPL 2024 Points Table

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has been one of the best grounds for high-scoring encounters in IPL 2024. Five games have been played so far in Hyderabad in IPL 2024. The average first innings score is 203. Three games have been won by teams batting first, while two have been won by chasing teams. Teams have opted to bat first in the last three games at this venue. The trend could continue on Thursday but defending anything less than 200 would be very difficult.

Also Check: SRH vs GT: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad Today Weather Forecast and Pitch Report

SRH vs GT Probable Playing XI

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Sunrisers are coming off a thumping win and have no need to change things around. However, they could bring back Mayank Markande in place of Vijayakanth Viyaskanth to bank on experience in the crucial encounter. Apart from this, the rest of the team should remain unchanged.

Predicted XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande

Impact Player: T Natarajan

Gujarat Titans:

The Titans have the scope of trying out a few players ahead of next year’s mega auction. However, for a team that made the finals in the last two seasons and won one of them, pride is also very important and they wouldn’t want to end with another defeat. Talented youngsters like Darshan Nalkande and Manav Suthar could be given a go if Gujarat want to experiment.

Predicted XI: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Matthew Wade (WK), Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan Noor Ahmad, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Kartik Tyagi

Impact Player – Sandeep Warrier

Head-to-Head Record