SRH vs RR Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2024 match?
Coming into the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), the Rajasthan Royals (RR) were penciled down as having the most destructive opening combination in the competition. Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal might not have lived up to that reputation entirely, with the latter having a lean run of form to start the tournament, but they have three centuries between them.
And despite that, Buttler and Jaiswal have been blown out of the water by Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who are striking it faster and harder than anyone else in IPL 2024, especially in the powerplay. The duo haven't fired to their utmost ability in the last two matches, so they will hope that a return to the batting paradise that is the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium brings them back to their destructive ways.
SRH, who are placed fifth in the standings with five wins from nine matches, need to get back in the win column. They can go past the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) if they win on Thursday, and there's also the added incentive of potentially leapfrogging the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on net run rate.
RR, meanwhile, have no such concerns. Sitting pretty at the top of the table, the Royals already have 16 points to their name and are on track to become the first team to enter the IPL 2024 playoffs. With only one loss, Sanju Samson and Co. have been head and shoulders above the other teams in the league.
The head-to-head record is fairly even, with RR having won three of their last five meetings. Interestingly, all three of those were comprehensive wins while defending totals, a testament to how strong their bowling attack has consistently been.
Can Rajasthan pull further away from the pack and take significant steps towards sealing a top-two berth? Or will Hyderabad get back to winning ways?
IPL 2024, SRH vs RR Win Probability: Royals look to dominate even contest
Head and Abhishek might be deadly in the powerplay, but RR are a team that generally boss that phase. Trent Boult has been as deadly as ever with the new ball, and Sandeep Sharma has given him good company since returning from injury. Avesh Khan is in a good run of form as well.
That said, though, conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium have been batting-friendly. If there isn't much swing on offer, Head and Abhishek could get their team off to a flier and put immense pressure on Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs.
SRH still have issues to sort out in the middle order. Aiden Markram has looked scratchy, and barring a few big names, the batting unit doesn't seem all too convincing. They might need to drop Shahbaz Ahmed and bring in an additional batter while relying on the likes of Abhishek to chip in with the ball.
And with the SunRisers' key bowlers, including Bhuvneshwar Kumar, being some way off their best, they could struggle to nip out the RR top order cheaply. It's important to note that Pat Cummins and Jaydev Unadkat could enjoy bowling cutters into the deck, but that might not be enough against the Royals.
This contest, between two top-class sides, is too close to call and will come down to which team plays better cricket on the night. RR have been more consistent so far in IPL 2024, so they will start as the favorites. However, the venue plays into SRH's hands, and they have the tools to pull off an upset.
Prediction: RR to win Match 50 of IPL 2024.