SRH vs PBKS Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2023 match?
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have, so far at least, laid waste to all pre-tournament projections that had them near the top of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) table.
With no points on the board after two games, the Orange Army are dead last in the points table and have the worst net run rate of all 10 teams (-2.867). They first fell to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) before making a slew of tactical errors in a disappointing loss to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Hyderabad will be hoping to get off the mark in IPL 2023 when they take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 14 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, April 9.
PBKS have been one of the surprise packages of the season thus far. They first beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a tight rain-affected game before edging out the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in what was something of an upset.
The Kings have punched above their weight so far. However, there's no denying the fact that they have an excellent bowling attack capable of troubling any batting lineup in the league.
Can PBKS keep their unbeaten record going? Or will SRH finally notch up their first win of IPL 2023?
IPL 2023, SRH vs PBKS Match Prediction: Sunrisers seek maiden win against confident Kings
SRH made a host of bizarre tactical decisions in their previous game. They didn't have Akeal Hosein in their impact subs list despite playing the contest on a rank turner in Lucknow. After selecting just three overseas players in their XI, the Orange Army brought in pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi for the second innings.
Hyderabad also handed the wicket-keeping gloves to Anmolpreet Singh, who isn't much more than a part-time option. They left Heinrich Klaasen and Glenn Phillips on the bench, as well as Marco Jansen, and dropped Abhishek Sharma after just one game.
How do they right their wrongs against PBKS?
Adil Rashid has been good for the Sunrisers, but it might be time to drop the overseas leg-spinner and bring in Jansen. It might also be time to revert to the basics against PBKS, something Aiden Markram did excellently in the SA20 league.
Punjab, on the other hand, have managed to defend totals in both their games so far. That's largely been because their middle-order batters have managed to come up with substantial contributions on good batting tracks. This is a trend that could continue in Hyderabad under the lights.
Prabhsimran Singh has been a breath of fresh air at the top of the order. Bhanuka Rajapaksa was forced to retire hurt after being struck at the non-striker's end, but his scans have come back clean and he should be available for selection.
Overall, while PBKS have clearly been the better team thus far, SRH are the more well-rounded unit. All they need to do is get their team selection right, and with Markram having recently joined the squad, they're bound to do so in the near future.
While the Kings might be the favorites, the Sunrisers can be backed to open their account in IPL 2023 on Sunday.
Prediction: SRH to win Match 14 of IPL 2023.