IPL 2016, RPS vs SRH Match 40 Preview: Can the Supergiants rise in time to face the Sunrisers?

It’s do or die time for Dhoni’s men.

The Rising Pune Supergiants lost their previous match to the Royal Challengers Bangalore and which has almost made it almost impossible for them to qualify for the playoffs. The Supergiants have 4 games remaining in this season and even if they win all their remaining games, they will most likely fail to make it to the playoffs. VIVO IPL 2016 might be the first season that a team captained by M S Dhoni will fail to make it to the playoffs. 

The Sunrisers on the other hand, are well on their way to cementing a place in the Top 4. The Sunrisers thrashed the Mumbai Indians in their previous match and they showed their bowling can, on their day be a good match for any batting line-up. Skipper David Warner has been top class for the Sunrisers and his opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan has helped the Sunrisers achieve big scores.

The Match 40 of VIVO IPL between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rising Pune Supergiants will take place at Visakhapatnam. 

Match Date and Time: 10 May 2016, 2000 hrs IST
Match Venue:  Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.

Weather:

Temperature: Max 35°C, Min 31°C

Humidity: Max 61%

Wind: 10 km per hour

Pitch Report: Par-score 160. Seamers should extract good bounce and carry from the pitch.

In-Depth Analysis:

Ajinkya Rahane is in the form of his life, he has been the main batsman for the Supergiants at the top of the order. Rahane has gathered a total of 417 runs in 10 innings including 6 fifties during this season. Usman Khawaja opened with Rahane in the previous 2 matches and the Supergiants will hope they can continue to give them good starts.

The Supergiants have found the right replacements for their injured players and have been performing well with the bat. Saurabh Tiwary has come good for the Supergiants and has already registered 2 fifties in 6 matches played so far in this season. Tiwary has shown his flexibility, batting at the number 3 position n the last few games, and doing a great job.

Skipper M S Dhoni and Thisara Perera have been consistently finishing well for the Supergiants, scoring quick runs in the final few overs and giving a huge boost to the final score of the Supergiants. They will be necessary to cash in on the good starts which Rahane has been providing for them.

The bowling has been a let down as they have failed to defend targets of even over 190 runs. This has been a major concern for MSD as he is missing a reliable bowler who can bowl at the death overs. Bringing in the Australian Leggie Adam Zampa in the previous match was a good move as he can contain the opposition in the mid overs.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad were lacking only in the batting department and they have rectified that problem by bringing in the Kiwi International Kane Williamson. Warner and Dhawan have been excellent at the top order and their partnership will be the key for the Sunrisers. With probably the best bowling unit in this entire tournament, the Sunrisers will hope to give the bowlers a decent score to defend. 

Winning their last game comfortably on this wicket against the Mumbai Indians, the Sunrisers will be the favorites to get the win against MSD’s side. Expect the Vizag cowd to support their team in full voice.