IPL 2018 SRH vs KXIP: 5 player battles to look forward to between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab

The Kings XI Punjab are currently on a 4-match winnings streak and having won 5 of their 6 games, find themselves at 2nd spot in the table. The hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, stuttered a bit after their rousing start in the tournament but stormed back with an incredible come-from-behind victory against the Mumbai Indians in their previous game.

They are 3rd in the table and in tonight’s home game, they would most certainly want to avenge their defeat in Mohali in their first encounter this season. The outcome of the game will ultimately hinge on the some of the big individual battles that are going to be played out tonight and here is a look at 5 of those.

#5 Yusuf Pathan v Mujeeb Ur Rahman

In a batting line-up that has often struggled, Yusuf Pathan remains one of the most important players in the SRH middle-order and recently he has discovered some hitting form as well. He is the team’s third highest run scorer and is averaging 31 with a strike rate of 131.91. Additionally, he can be a brutal hitter against spin bowling and that makes his contest against KXIP’s lead spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman a particularly interesting one.

Mujeeb has a variety of tricks in his repertoire and can turn the ball both ways, that has made him a difficult bowler to read for many batsmen. His has an outstanding economy rate of 6.91 and tonight he would come up against a batsman who would go after him from the start. The middle overs of the SRH innings could well be defined by this duel and whoever comes out on top would have a big say in the direction of the match.