IPL 2019, Match 8, SRH vs RR Match Prediction: Who will win today's match?
The Sunrisers Hyderabad will host the Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on 29th March after a 5-day break following an unexpected defeat at the hands of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Royals themselves are coming off a loss to Kings XI Punjab despite looking very comfortable in the chase at one point in time. Both teams will rue their missed chances and will want to open their respective accounts on the points table with a win in this match.
Kane Williamson is most likely to make a return for SRH as the captain and this will lift the burden from Bhuvneshwar Kumar who wasn't too effective as a skipper.
RR will mostly play the same side despite having lost the previous game. They will want their big-money signings and marquee players to show some character and come good against SRH.
The match won't be as high-scoring as some of the other games due to the nature of the Hyderabad pitch. Both teams look equally impressive and we could be in for a really close game.
If Sunrisers Hyderabad bat first
If SRH bat first, their top-order could explode like it did against KKR. With Williamson set to return, they will have someone to carry on the momentum created by their openers. With a fiery top order and a middle-order packed with big-hitters, SRH can pile on the runs against a relatively inexperienced Rajasthan bowling attack. A score between 170 and 190 can be expected.
If Rajasthan Royals bat first
The Royals would ideally want to bat first against SRH because they are very good defenders of scores.
RR have a very strong top order and if Jos Buttler can provide them with a fiery start, RR have a good chance of posting a big total on the board after which they can apply the pressure on the SRH batsmen. Considering their batting strength, RR can make 160-180 runs if they handle Rashid Khan carefully.
Despite the threat posed by Rajasthan, SRH will be the favorites to walk away with the points in front of their home crowd on Friday night. They have better squad depth and Williamson's return will prove pivotal. David Warner is in red-hot form and their explosive batting and disciplined bowling might prove to be too much to handle for Rajasthan.