IPL 2018, DD V SRH: 5 player battles to look forward to
The Sunrisers Hyderabad have won 5 games on the bounce and find themselves at the top of the table. A win against bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils will confirm their place in the playoffs and needless to say, they start favorites in tonight’s game.
In their previous game, DD failed to defend a score against the same opponents and hence, they must be in a bit of a dilemma if they win the toss. Do they bat first again or risk chasing against the best defensive bowling unit in the tournament? For DD captain Shreyas Iyer, it might be a good toss to lose. That being said, it is a must-win game for DD if they are to stay afloat and they need to be at the top of their game whether they bat first or chase.
The result of the game will ultimately be dependent on how some of the head to head battles pan out throughout the course of the game and here are the 5 duels that are going to have a huge bearing on the game.
#5 Trent Boult v Shikhar Dhawan
After scoring a fluent 33 against DD, SRH opener Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed for 13 in is the previous game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and in tonight’s game at his ‘home ground’ in Delhi, he would definitely want to put on a show. He started the tournament off in fine form but after the injury, he struggled a bit before resurrecting his form somewhat and as the tournament heads towards the business end, the left-hander’s form is going to be very important for the SRH’s batting efforts. In tonight’s game against DD, he will have to weather the opening spell against Trent Boult if he is to score anything substantial and it is a battle that could prove to be pivotal in the larger scheme of things.
The Kiwi has been their best bowler so far with 13 wickets so far in 10 games and has gone for 8.95 runs an over, which is not as bad considering the fact that he bowls during the Powerplays and then again at the death. His opening skirmish will Dhawan will go a long way in deciding the direction of the game.