IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's SRH vs RCB match
The last time SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) met in IPL 2024, bowlers played like secondary citizens of the cricketing world. SRH posted the highest-ever first innings total of 287 and RCB replied with the highest-ever second innings total of 262 despite losing seven wickets.
And that match was at the Chinnaswamy, which has at least been half decent for bowlers this season. As the two teams face off again on Thursday, the host is the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, which has laid down highways after highways for the batters to exploit.
You have to be ready for the "might as well replace them with bowling machines" memes but have also tried to predict three bowlers who can stand out amidst the gardening, based on their recent records in such games and other factors:
#3 Mohammed Siraj
It's very difficult to include any RCB bowler in this list given how their season has gone so far. But right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj, who's returning to his home, does have a decent chance to pick up some wickets.
He has a brilliant record in Uppal, having picked up eight wickets in six games, including a best spell of 3/25. His bowling average of 22.13 at the venue is his best at any Indian ground where he has played more than two games.
Siraj didn't play the home game against SRH and despite his poor form in IPL 2024, RCB missed his ability to make things happen. His excellent record against left-handers (33 wickets at an average of 27.33 in IPL) is also something RCB could use against Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and the rest of SRH's left-handed hitters.
#2 Pat Cummins
Converting your home pitch into a flat one can't make you title challengers overnight. Even if you have batters who can make the most runs, you still need bowlers to defend those totals. And that's what Pat Cummins gives SRH. In fact, he's been the key difference between SRH and RCB in IPL 2024.
The Australian Test and ODI captain has been simply outstanding on flat tracks in IPL 2024. In the Chinnaswamy game, he shone brightly with three wickets. SRH's last match against Delhi Capitals was the first time he went wicketless in IPL 2024 but even then, he helped his team's cause by conceding just 35 runs in four overs.
Cummins has a strike rate of 18.67, thanks to a top-notch execution of specific plans for each batter. And RCB would likely be in the firing zone once again.
#1 T Natarajan
One man who's even more likely to come out with wickets than Cummins is the in-form T Natarajan. When the Aussie couldn't find the breakthroughs against DC, he trusted the left-arm quick and he reposed the faith with his IPL-best spell of 4/19.
Natarajan hasn't played all games of IPL 2024 for SRH but hasn't had even one game without picking up a wicket, marking his most consistent run yet.
Most of his wickets against DC came in the death overs, which is a phase where RCB have tended to over-reply on wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has veiled an unsettled lower order. Natarajan has 10 wickets in nine matches at 22.90 against RCB and looks well-positioned to add to that tally on Thursday.