IPL 2020, SRH vs KXIP: Preview, probable XI, match prediction, live streaming, weather forecast, and pitch report
The Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Kings XI Punjab on Thursday, 8th October, in the twenty-second match of IPL 2020, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab come off defeats to the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings, respectively.
SRH have been dealt a huge blow as star pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been sidelined for the entire season with a hip injury. The Orange Army has signed left-arm pacer Prithvi Raj Yarra as his replacement. Bhuvi's absence was felt against MI as Siddharth Kaul, who replaced him in the team, went for a lot of runs.
While Sandeep Sharma, Rashid Khan and T Natarajan bowled really well in Sharjah, they didn't receive much support from the other bowlers. The lack of a proper fifth bowling option means that Warner had to turn to the likes of Kane Williamson to roll over his arm.
With the bat, SRH was going about their chase pretty well but the MI pacers pulled the game back during the middle overs. The lack of firepower in their middle-order was evident as the side crumbled under pressure after Warner's dismissal, losing by 34 runs.
Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab will head into this match on the back of three successive defeats, with their latest one being a ten-wicket loss at the hands of CSK. Punjab posted 178 on the board, thanks to another half-century from KL Rahul, and some cameos from Nicholas Pooran and Mandeep Singh.
Their bowlers, however, were simply unable to penetrate the CSK batting line-up as Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis remained unbeaten on 83 and 87, respectively. Questions have been asked about whether Punjab has the squad depth when it comes to bowlers. KL Rahul's captaincy hasn't been convincing, and they will need to answer all these questions with their performance against SRH.
IPL 2020, SRH vs KXIP Match Details
Date: 8th October 2020 (Thursday)
Time: 7:30 PM IST.
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Weather Forecast
The temperature will be around 34 degrees Celsius during the match, and it will certainly test the stamina levels of some players. No rain is expected on the matchday, although there will be some breeze in the evening.
Pitch Report
Dubai is perhaps the most balanced track of the three venues this IPL season. The pitch has largely assisted the batsmen but the spinners have lately been able to get some turn off the wicket.
Predicted XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Despite their 34-run defeat to MI, the Sunrisers won't tinker with their team too much. Khaleel Ahmed could replace Siddharth Kaul in their playing XI. They will look to trouble the KXIP openers with the new ball and will hope to break their strong opening partnership. Their top order will look to make use of Punjab's ineffective bowling and score a lot of runs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Jonny Bairstow (WK), David Warner (C), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul/ Khaleel Ahmed, and T Natarajan.
Kings XI Punjab
KXIP has made a slew of changes to their playing XI this IPL season. After a bad loss, they could once again play around with their team. Mujeeb-ur-Rahman could make his first appearance of the season at the expense of Chris Jordan. Pacer Ishan Porel could make his IPL debut in place of Harpreet Brar.
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (C and WK), Mayank Agarwal, Mandeep Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Ishan Porel, and Sheldon Cottrell.
IPL 2020, SRH vs KXIP Match Prediction
While SRH does have a stronger bowling attack then Punjab, their weak middle-order could be exploited by the latter. This IPL game will ultimately come down to the big-hitters in both teams, and Punjab seems to be stronger in that aspect. They could make a comeback and win this game.
IPL 2020, SRH vs KXIP TV and Live Streaming Details
TV: Star Sports Network.
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP