Struggling Sunrisers Host In-Form Royals in Crucial IPL Clash
Hyderabad Needs Chasing Fix, Rajasthan Eyes Playoffs Berth
When Sunrisers Hyderabad hosts the high-flying Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday, they will want to address their chasing issues and restart their campaign.
For the Sunrisers, far more is at stake than for the Royals, who have all but guaranteed a postseason spot.
Up until a few days ago, Sunrisers had been playing in ominous form. They had lost their last two games against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, failing to reach target totals, and had fallen out of the top four on the points standings.
The 2016 winners are in fifth place with 10 points after five wins and four losses.
The middle-order and top-order players for the Pat Cummins-led team have struggled as a unit while chasing, which has forced head coach Daniel Vettori to concede that going all out with the bat in the second innings might not be the best course of action.
On the other side, the unbeaten Rajasthan Royals will aim to carry on their nearly faultless record.
The winners of the first competition have demonstrated that they are fully prepared to compete anyplace.
With 16 points, they are four points clear of the Kolkata Knight Riders in second place on the standings.
They are all virtually guaranteed a spot in the tournament's knockout round.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
